We should have talked to Hamas — Tony Blair
TONY BLAIR, who was prime minister when Hamas took control of Gaza a decade ago, has revealed he thought he and other world leaders were wrong to stage a boycott after it won Palestinian elections in 2006.
He told the journalist Donald Macintyre in his new book Gaza: Preparing
for Dawn that he believed more could have been done when he was prime minister to negotiate with the group.
According to Mr Macintyre, Mr Blair said Hamas should have been “pulled into” a dialogue to attempt to shift their position.
The former prime minister said: “But obviously it was very difficult; the Israelis were very opposed to it.
“But, you know, we could have probably worked out a way whereby we did — which in fact we ended up doing any- way, informally.” The then US president George W Bush led the move to halt aid and cut ties with the newly elected authority in Gaza unless it agreed to recognise Israel and renounce violence.
Hamas rejected the terms, prompting the economic blockade that remains in place today.
Asked about Mr Blair’s comments during Foreign Office questions in the Commons on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson suggested Hamas could one day be engaged in dialogue.
“There may be, in the end, the prospect of Hamas being brought in,” he said.
But he added that the Palestinian group must “denounce terror, recognise Israel” and eradicate its antisemitic positions.