Tony Blair backs inclusive Mitzvah Day projects

Tony Blair has singled out Mitzvah Day as an example of “what faith is about: meaningful, tangible collective action”.

Mr Blair also applauds the efforts of Mitzvah Day organisers to “engage with those of other faiths”.

The day of good deeds on Sunday will see 15,000 people from across the community involved in 250 projects.

More..

Students join Blair interfaith project

Two Jewish students have been selected to take part in a Tony Blair Faith Foundation leadership programme tackling malaria.

Natasha Steele, from Edgware, and Stanmore-based Zac Newman will join eight other Faiths Act Fellows from Britain on the 10-month scheme.

They will undergo training in Africa and the United States with fellows from Canada and the US, before returning to the UK where they will work in interfaith pairs educating religious communities about the dangers of the disease.

More..

Blair Foundation unites with World Jewish Relief

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will make a rare appearance at a Jewish community event this month in a collaboration between his own Faith Foundation and World Jewish Relief.

Mr Blair, currently the Middle East envoy for the Quartet - America, Russia, Europe and the UN - will be the guest speaker at a communal breakfast in central London, where he will speak about the work of his foundation and its connection with WJR.

More..

Tony Blair reaches out to ‘Jewish values’ at Succot

Tony Blair, the former prime minister, today lauds the work done by Jewish organisations to alleviate poverty around the world, and calls upon the community to join other faith groups in fighting hunger and deprivation.

Writing in this week's Jewish Chronicle, Mr Blair says that the current festival of Succot "gives rise to the virtues of charity and solidarity, core covenantal values expressed in the work of the community's NGOs - World Jewish Relief and Tzedek, among others".

More..

Blair snubs the Gaza Strip

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair cancelled a visit to the Gaza Strip this week after the Israeli General Security Service warned that terror organisations were planning to attack his convoy.

Mr Blair was planning to visit Gaza on Tuesday to meet local businessmen, UNRWA officials and representatives of NGOs in the area. A Hamas spokesman had announced the visit and said that the movement would ensure the security arrangements.

More..

Tony Blair is wasting his time

Launching a new column on international affairs, our foreign editor assesses the Middle East Envoy’s first year

How much impact has Tony Blair had in his year as the Quartet’s Middle East envoy? According to one government adviser, it all boils down to a matter of parking at Jerusalem’s legendary American Colony Hotel, where the former British prime minister has his offices. “When he’s there, they cordon off the car park,” he sniffs, “and you have to leave your car outside.”

More..

Gaza is no-go for Blair

Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair has told the Commons foreign-affairs select committee that he would not visit the Hamas-run Gaza Strip for fear of disrupting peace efforts.

The former prime minister, addressing MPs last Thursday, said: “We need to get a ceasefire in Gaza, progressively to start reopening the crossings, start to get proper humanitarian help through, and then build our way back out of this situation where the people of Gaza can be helped.”

More..

Jets take aim at Blair's plane

Former British prime minister Tony Blair came close to being shot down by Israeli Air Force jets last week after air-traffic controllers noticed what they thought was a suspicious aircraft heading into Israeli airspace from the Sinai peninsula and tried to make contact.

Mr Blair, now envoy to the Middle East Quartet, was returning to his Jerusalem headquarters from a World Economic Forum meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

More..