SILENCE OF ARAB LEADERS ON ISRAEL'S ILLEGAL ATTACK IN GAZA

I criticized Tony Blair yesterday for his silence on Israel's barbaric and cruel military action against the Palestinians in Gaza. Surely Israel will need to answer for its actions which in all likelihood constitute war crimes. And Blair, who happens to be the Middle East Envoy for the Quartet (Russia, the EU, the UN and the US) has enabled Israel's illegal actions by his silence and complicity. Blair thus shows himself to be as ineffectual on diplomacy in Middle East as he was in stopping George Bush in Iraq.

But if Blair is himself complicit in Israel's unlawful killings in Gaza, others too need to be confronted. Where is King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia? How come he has remained silent? Where are his condemnations of Israel for the terrible suffering it has inflicted on Palestinian civilians?

And how about Mubarak, that dictator in Egypt. A few days before Israel began its campaign, Tzipi Livni met with Mubarak in Egypt to discuss Israel's plans. Mubarak, like Tony Blair, has much to answer for.