Thursday, February 19, 2009

It's all about the legacy...

The former PM and current Middle East peace broker nets a $1m prize from an Israeli University

So, Tony Blair won the Dan David Prize from Tel Aviv University, an award worth $1m for being "one of the most outstanding statesmen of our era" and for his "leadership of the world stage".

Just like during his time as PM, everything's about the image - as long as there's pomp you don't have to worry about the substance. We are all well aware how obsessed Tony was with his legacy. And this ambition was fulfilled when he was appointed as Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process. What a great way to continue his career after 10 years as PM. He can now leave a lasting mark on international politics by helping resolve the longest-lasting dispute in one of the most conflict-ridden regions of the word.

But hang on a minute... Would it be acceptable for a neutral, unbiased mediator in a peace process to accept a price of $1m from an Israeli University, no matter how independent it might or might not be? Even for reasons of protocol, wouldn't this be problematic?

1 comment:

Madam Miaow said...

Yeah, we know what that payment was for. Like the millions he collects from JP Morgan which just happens to be the bank that profited most from the Iraq war started and legitimised by ... You Know Who. Such happy coincidences.