STEVE INSKEEP, Host:
To get one perspective on the fighting, we went to the British Embassy in Washington. Amid the wide hallways and columns that symbolize Britain's former power, we sat down with the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He's now a Middle East envoy, just in from Jerusalem and Cairo. And Blair was thinking about what happens after a cease-fire finally arrives in Gaza.
TONY BLAIR: In very concrete terms, the first thing you do is you get massive humanitarian help in. That, in practical terms, is what, literally, the day after you would need. But in a sense, looking a little beyond the day after, but I don't mean much beyond, the single most important thing is that there is a strong signal of intent and commitment sent out. And incidentally, I believe this is exactly what the new president will do. But which shows that we have a strategy for resolving this, and also the right partnership between America and the international community to get it done.
INSKEEP: You think the next signal would be from here? From Washington, D.C.?
BLAIR: Well, I think it's from Washington, but also from the international community as a whole, to say that we know what we need to do. And in a sense, what I'm saying to you is that even saying this is important.
INSKEEP: Let me ask about that, because this is a question you can answer, not only as someone serving as a diplomat, but as a politician. As you know, President-elect Obama is going to have many things on his plate. He's going to have to have many decisions to make about what he wants to spend political capital on first. Are you able to make an argument for him that he ought to act in this region, this area first, or almost first?
BLAIR: Sure. But I think when you say first, look, let's be clear about this. There's the worst economic crisis the world has known for decades. I mean, he has got to focus on that. But here's the thing about being a president or a prime minister. Unfortunately, you don't get to choose the agenda of problems. The agenda chooses itself. He, of course, will focus enormously on the economic crisis. He has to. But actually, this is also a crisis, and also requires focusing upon. And I'm absolutely sure from - certainly from the conversations I've had with him, and indeed with Senator Clinton, I've no doubt at all that they are going to focus on it, and they will have to do that alongside the great challenge of the economic crisis.
INSKEEP: How much have you been speaking with them?
BLAIR: You know, I speak to them reasonably often. And for obvious reasons, I know them well from the past. And Senator Clinton and, of course, General Jones, who's the national security advisor, has been working with me, specifically out in Palestine. But I think what this Gaza conflict shows is something I've tried to underline to people for a long time, which is, you cannot ignore Gaza. Gaza is a relatively small strip of land separated geographically from the West Bank, which is the main part of the Palestinian territory and where most of the Palestinian people live. There was a feeling, I think, that maybe you push ahead on the West Bank, and you just kind of put Gaza in the isolation ward for a time. Just leave it and hope to return to it. What this conflict in Gaza shows is that that's not going to happen. You're going to have to deal with that alongside dealing with the West Bank.
INSKEEP: Well, let me make sure of something that's skeptically said by analysts. I'm just curious if you agree with it about both the expected secretary of state and the president-elect. About Hillary Clinton it's said, obviously, very world famous figure, very strong figure, but someone who's going to be seen as biased towards Israel, and therefore will have trouble making progress. You think there's something to that?
BLAIR: Not really. One of the things people sometimes don't understand when they're reading - I mean, I spend so much time out in this region now, and I've found I've got a lot clearer understanding of it, probably more than I did when I was prime minister, even though I used to visit often in my 10 years in the job. But everybody knows in the region that unless you have the right relationship with Israel, you can't sort this. So the fact that Senator Clinton is respected in Israel is a benefit. It's not a problem.
INSKEEP: Does your relationship have to be right with Egypt, right with Jordan, right with Syria, in order to solve this?
BLAIR: It certainly has to be right with the surrounding Arab countries. That's absolutely right. But those countries don't always have the same set of interests. So one of the challenges, let's say, of doing this is that you have to navigate your way around very complex politics.
INSKEEP: Let me ask about something that is said, somewhat skeptically, about President-elect Obama, which is that his election is seen as a moment of hope, a moment of change around the world, but there are predictions that in the end he will turn out to be another American president pursuing American interests, and he may disappoint expectations.
BLAIR: Look, the fact is, the expectations have changed. And there is this enormous sense of hope and possibility, but the decisions haven't. And these decisions are tough. If we have the right and wise enough strategy, I think we can use that goodwill to make real change and progress. But you know, of course you'll find that within a short period of taking office, there will be all sorts of criticisms that are being made. But that's the way it is, and I'm sure he - in fact , I know perfectly well he understands that.
INSKEEP: Mr. Blair, thanks very much for your time.
BLAIR: Thank you.
INSKEEP: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was in Washington to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a final gesture from his partner in the Iraq War and many other things, President Bush. We asked Blair about the Iraq War and his legacy at npr.org. It's Morning Edition from NPR News.