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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 25 July 2008

‘Spiritless’ Obama comes under fire

A FORMER director of the British Council in Jerusalem has told an Islington meeting that he despaired at the lack of support for Palestinians from American presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Chris McConville, who won the MBE for his work in Gaza, said he had pinned his hopes on Senator Obama – who aims to become America’s first black president – being the man to help resolve the 40-year-old war of attrition between Israel and the Palestinians.
He said: “Obama was reported to have said that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of Israel. But in international law it is not even part of Israel.
“Obama appears to have a very pro-Israeli line and has spoken to the American Israeli lobby in the most fawning of terms. We can only hope that if elected he turns out to be not quite as spiritless as he appears.”
Mr McConville was speaking at a meeting of Islington-based Friends of Yibna campaign. It was launched last year to support occupants of Yibna refugee camp, on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Just back from a fact-finding trip to the region, Mr McConville, who lives in Barnsbury said he was not optimistic that former Prime Minister Tony Blair – a Middle East envoy – would make any difference.
He added: “Mr Blair stays at the American Colony Hotel on the border with Israel with his four Range-Rovers chained together.
“Compare that with the people of Gaza, who have no fuel and attempt to adapt their battered old cars to run on Calor gas.”

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