The Israeli government met Wednesday to consider "easing" the Gaza blockade, according to Cabinet officials. The move comes on the heels of the global outrage over the deadly attack on the Gaza aid flotilla last month.
Israeli officials in fact reject lifting the crippling blockade but say Israel "might", just might, expand the list of basic commodities that are allowed in. The list is short compared to the list of goods that the Israelis don't allow into the Gaza Strip.
This is nothing but a farce. What the world is calling for is the complete lifting of the illegal siege, which has been draining the life out of the war-ravaged territory.
But it seems that the latest Israeli manoeuvre has been worked out in talks with Tony Blair, the so-called representative of the sponsors of the Middle East peace process, the Quartet.
Israel is expected to stall and try to prolong the blockade. But why is Blair going along with it?
He has the political and, most importantly, the moral responsibility to pressure Israel into ending the blockade. His mandate is to pave the way for peace in the region. And he knows very well that this peace will not be possible without recognising firstly the right of Palestinians to live in peace and security and secondly that Israel is not above the law.
