Israeli media talk – about the appointment of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair responsible for the issue of displacing Palestinians from Gaza – sparked widespread anger and denunciation at both the popular and official levels, as Blair’s history is filled with crimes against the Arab peoples, and his country was the most prominent contributor to the prolonged tragedy of the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it is following with great interest what the Israeli media is publishing about Blair heading a team for what the Israeli government calls the “voluntary evacuation” of the residents of Gaza, and holding consultations with some countries to receive them as refugees, stressing that it is an Israeli crime and a continuation of displacement since the Nakba.
For its part, the Palestinian presidency confirmed its rejection of what it called the “suspicious attempt” to assign Blair to work to displace citizens from Gaza, and considered it a condemnable and rejected act, and that Blair is completing the Balfour Declaration.
The Palestinian presidency called on the British government not to allow “this tampering” with the fate and future of the Palestinian people. It also called on the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, to do everything possible to prevent these actions that violate international law and legitimacy.
For his part, the Palestinian Ambassador to Britain, Hossam Zomlot, stressed that anyone who participates in Israeli criminal acts to displace Palestinians will bear the legal consequences.
Widespread condemnation of Tony Blair being named responsible for the displacement of Palestinians#Aljazeera live #Gaza_moment_by_moment pic.twitter.com/6OjeDZ5RDn
– Tel Aviv Tribune Mubasher (@ajmubasher) January 2, 2024
“A criminal of war”
Many on social media also talked about Blair’s crimes in the Arab region, especially his role in the Iraq war and his hands being stained with the blood of Iraqis, without him being held accountable so far.
European Parliament member Mike Wallace said that Blair is a “war criminal,” adding that a person with his history is suitable for the Israeli government that is working on genocide in the Gaza Strip.
On the other hand, an institute affiliated with Blair denied Israeli reports about his new role, describing the matter as a lie, and continued that the residents of Gaza should be able to remain in their homeland, according to the institute’s statement.
However, activists considered Blair’s haste to deny it as confirmation of the extent to which Israel’s plans have become outcast, even pushing a “war criminal” like Blair to disavow them, even if only as statements.
Blair served as British Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007, during which he contributed by sending troops to Afghanistan and involving his country in the US-led invasion of Iraq, despite British popular opposition.