Tony Blair has given some excellent speeches recently, full of ringing phrases about the big issues, confronting Islamic fascism, clash of civilizations stuff.

Then he does something like this. Blair urges lifting of Palestinian sanctions.

That’s right. While Hamas has not backed down one iota from their genocidal stance toward Israel, and continues to refuse to renounce terrorism, they make one token meaningless concession and Tony Blair’s ready to cave on the sanctions.

BRIGHTON, England (AFP) - Britain’s Tony Blair urged the lifting of economic sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, so long as a deal on a cabinet of national unity there meets international conditions.

He made the comments a day after returning from a three-day trip to the Middle East, during which he faced protests over his stance notably during the recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

“Yesterday’s announcement of a government of national unity in Palestine is precisely what I hoped for,” he said, referring to an agreement under which president Mahmud Abbas is to dissolve the current Hamas-led government.

“On the basis it is faithful to the conditions spelled out by the Quartet, that is the UN, EU, US and Russia, we should lift the economic sanctions on the Palestinian authority,” added the British prime minister.