Bodyguards subdued a Palestinian man on Tuesday as he approached European Union Middle East envoy Tony Blair, shouting ”You are a terrorist.”
The former British prime minister was verbally assailed while visiting an ancient mosque during an official trip to the West Bank city of Hebron.
The protester, carrying a bag, was backed into a corner by guards who tried to shut him up. ”He is not welcome in the land of Palestine,” the man shouted.
Blair (56) is hated by many Arabs for supporting the 2003 invasion of Iraq, for declining to speak out against Israel’s 2006 war against Hezbollah and for what they perceive as his bias in favour of Israel when he was prime minister.
He gave a tight-lipped smile and tried to wave the incident off, but his Hebron hosts were visibly upset by the security breach. — Reuters