Former Hezbollah hostage Terry Waite has joined critics who have condemned Tony Blair’s handling of the Middle East crisis. He knows more than most about Lebanon. It is 15 years since the former church envoy was released from captivity by militants in Lebanon.

In an interview with his local press (not available on-line due to the lack of Bank Holiday updates), the humanitarian explains why he believes Tony Blair and George Bush have got their policies wrong. He speaks fairly, recognising the dilemmas on all sides. Here are some extracts:

“I don’t think it does any good to ask the question who started the war. It is futile. You have to say what causes this friction and it is fundamental injustice on all sides.

“I am not one of those people who believe the state of Israel can or should be eliminated, but at the same time, I don’t think they should be allowed to get away with many of the injustices they have perpetrated on the Palestinians.

“If a Jew from anywhere in the world wants to reside in Israel, they have automatic right of entry, but Palestinians have no right (to return to their former homes). In Lebanon, you have refugee camps with third generation Palestinians who have no right of return and no possibility of equal status in Lebanon.”

The report adds that Waite suspects American foreign policy is mainly decided by its economic interests and its desire to control oil. It seems that oil is at the heart of many wars.

“That is a very strong motive. Perhaps the decision has been taken in Britain that it is in our economic interests to go along with that. But it has done us enormous harm.

“I feel Tony Blair has failed to give the balanced leadership that is required at this time. Admittedly it is exceptionally difficult to deal in a balanced way with the Middle East, but he has succeeded in giving the impression that he is purely going along almost blindly with American foreign policy, which is mistaken.

“The Palestinian question will not go away. It has to be resolved. I don’t want to put the total blame on America and Israel. That would be unfair, there are grave difficulties in many Arab states themselves, but these are the symptoms of unresolved problems.”

He does remain optimistic and remembers thinking we would never see the end of apartheid or communism – yet they both happened.

Interestingly, the report adds how Waite was asked to stand as an anti-sleaze political candidate against disgraced former Tory MP Neil Hamilton, but he declined and Martin Bell took up the crusade instead. I think Waite would have made a great MP, though I imagine he would easily become very frustrated by attending endless committee meetings, being tied by endless paperwork and bureaucracy.