Optimism unrestrained (Blair's faith in Bush*)

[kskiska]

Blair's faith that Bush will bring peace to the Middle East is either inspiringly positive or grossly naive

They used to say that the difference between left and right boils down to this: the left holds a fundamentally sunny view of human nature, while the right errs on the side of pessimism. If that's the key distinction, then here's some arresting news: Tony Blair is a man of the left.

At least as far as the Middle East is concerned. For it's clear, both from his appearance with President Bush in Washington last week and his Mansion House speech on Monday, that the prime minister views that region with a rare optimism. Despite countless rebuffs and setbacks, and a pile of evidence that would send lesser men reaching for the razor blades, Blair remains brimful of hope.

Others might be sceptical, but he is now absolutely convinced that Bush is poised to dedicate the full might of the United States to the pursuit of Middle East peace. Fainter hearts may note that Bush has promised similar resolve before. In April 2003, the president came to Belfast and promised to "expend the same amount of energy in the Middle East" as Blair had in Northern Ireland. He didn't. Two months later, in Aqaba, Jordan, Bush promised to "ride herd" on Israelis and Palestinians, keeping them in line until they had settled their differences. He didn't.

(snip)

Such optimism is either gross naivety - like a woman who keeps going back to an abusive partner, convinced that this time he'll change - or inspiringly positive. The bitterness of three decades of thwarted peace efforts makes the former view the easier one to hold. But Blair is gambling that an American president who has broken every rule of Middle Eastern diplomacy - tilting toward Israel and invading a large Arab country - will be the one to achieve what his more cautious, more diplomatic predecessors could not. My gloomy hunch is that he's being far too hopeful. But I would love, more than anything, to be wrong.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1353098,00.html