Face the Public - Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair

Tony Blair with Michael Bröning.

After three years of nearly complete closure, Israel seems to be willing to ease the siege on the Gaza strip. Tony Blair, envoy of the Middle East Quartet consisting of the United States, the EU, Russia and the UN, played an important role in the negotiations - and was willing to discuss this with Gaza's civil society in the third session of "Face the Public" on 22 June.

Tony Blair and Michael Bröning follow the imput of a Gazan participant in the conference via video.

Organizer and moderator Omar Shaban of Palthink was keen to keep the discussion with the Quartet envoy focussed on the future rather than Gaza's hardship of the past three years under blockade. Of the participants in the conference, Omar Shaban asked for analyses of the consequences of a relaxed blockade of the coastal strip and which role the international community and especially the Middle East Quartet und its envoy are prepared to play in the negotiations with Israel.

Michael Bröning, Henrik Meyer and Judith Althaus of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung with Tony Blair and Frankfurter Rundschau correspondent Inge Günther.

In his opening statement Blair gave an overview of the events of the past weeks and underlined the successes of his own commitment in view of the easing of the blockade of the Gaza strip. Further political steps should, according to Blair, include the strife for national reconciliation with the aim of realizing a Palestinian state while maintaining the territorial contiguity between Gaza and the West Bank. "We need a strong, viable push to Palestinian statehood," said Blair pleading for pursuit of the "two-state solution comprising Gaza and the West Bank."

Tony Blair and Michael Bröning chatting after the end of the conference.

The audience in the Gaza strip didn't allow for Tony Blair to dwell on his successes of the past weeks. Several contributions especially among the young participants asked for an end of the "moral siege" that deprives Gaza's citizens of their rights. The young generation is suffering from a "lack of freedom before a lack of food."
At the same time, many participants remained sceptical towards the sustainability of the easing of the siege. "What measures will the Quartet take to ensure Israel honous its commitments?", they asked doubtfully.
Blair referred to the responsibility of the international community and hailed a "fundamental change in the political picture." In order to seize the day for real progress, Blair asked for the help of Palestinians: "We need help. I can't bring about political reconciliation."