Former Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu praises Tony Blair's handling of the Middle East crisis.

Surprisingly enough covered by the BBC.

"Mr Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister between 1996 and 1999, said he believed Mr Blair had correctly judged the situation, "that this is not a local conflict between two tribes".

He said Hezbollah regarded Israel as "the first step on the way to an Islamic empire" and "would not last a day without Iran, where its fighters are trained".

Leadership tested

"It is a mad wisdom and it should not be dismissed because it's mad, just as Hitler - he started off as an attack on the Jews and this is the same thing," he said.

"Tony Blair understands this. Some of the chattering classes do not. They learnt nothing from history. They really think it is a problem with Israel.

"Mr Blair is doing a great deal. He's standing up for his beliefs - he is nobody's puppet.

"He genuinely understands what is the correct picture. He is getting attacked from every side. That makes him more of a leader, not less so.

"Leadership is tested in doing the unpopular things - not going with the flow."

As I mentioned a few posts below - I completely agree with him. I have a great deal of admiration for Mr Netanyahu's forthrightness in media interviews. Opinion keeping me sane.

(Peace to Israel)


cartoon c/o Melbourne Age via Harrys Place (click on cartoon to enlarge)