thank you Lyn. a point well made.

Seoul, Barcelona, Catalunya

I would be very woried for his safety,but if he really believes he can bring peace to this troubled region,lets everyone get behind him and wish him luck.

david wood, Nha Trang , vietnam

With respect, comparing Blair to the aforementioned somewhat undermines the creditability of your argument. Whatever your opinion of the man, he brought closure to Northern Ireland. A fact that given the parallels cannot be ignored by detractors. Whether he will be able to replicate his successes in Ireland remains to be seen

philip, zurich, switzerland

To Farrukh from Woking .

You are making a truly excellent point . You are hereby invited to live three months in Jerusalem as an Israeli . What is good for the goose is good for the gander.......

isaac Dromi, Jerusalem, Israel

Best way to understand a people is to be with the people. Blair should live like Palestinians, even if only for say 3 months, with similar rules and regulations as imposed on them. That to me would be a good starting point.

Farrukh, Woking,

Probably because we know the man and his delusions much better than you Paul. This last decade with Blair as PM has been all about Blair and his place in history. Yes Blair has done some good things but then so also did Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin but whether Blair can climb above his egocenticity to see and understand the suffering of the Palestinian people and fight for their just cause is another matter. Sadly from some of his recent utterings to the press I doubt it as his personal ambitions, as ever are higher than his remit

Would I want to see him dead? No as it would solve nothing and only harm the cause of which he is supposed to be working for.

Lyn, Argyll,

The Times report is just fine. But four out of the five first responders are scandalous. They either wish that his mission fails or that Islamic terrorists kill him. They are so full of hatred!

Paul, New York, USA

How on earth can any Palestinian in their right minds take Blair seriously considering just how much he owes to Gideon Mier a senior Israeli diplomat, for introducing him to Michael (Lord) Levy who in turn arranged Anglo-Jewish businessmen to put foraward the £7 million needed for his leadership bid of the labour party. He is completely compromised as an independent negotiator. Never mind his part in Iraq or support of Israel's blitzkrieg in the Lebanon last year

So what will be his all inclusive middle way for the Palestinians? Another betrayal and Al Nakbah?

Lyn, Argyll,

Is there no limit to Blair's illusions of grandeur? A little humility might get him further!! Quite sickening.

Sue Shaw, Morpeth, UK

Blair has got nothing to loose, he has already lost office due to the war. The republicans in the US will get kicked out of the White House next year, the Spanish Government got kicked out and John Howard is about to be kicked out. Perhaps they can all set themselves up in mansions around the world and make deals with people that do not matter.

Unless Bliar is allowed to talk to Hammas, he might as well have stayed at no. 10. It's crazy inviting so many leaders to a conferance on Palestine, Europe, Israel, Abbas, Saudia Arabia, Egypt and other moderates. If Hammas is not included, they might as well hammer out a Mid East peace deal between Luton and Liverpool.
Noel, Australia

Noel Tobin, Sydney, Australia

Lets hope no Iraqi suicide bomber will travel to Jerusalem and pay Tony Blair a courtesy call.

Mark Herd, London,

How typical of Bliar to first attend to his personal comfort and ego, instead of getting down to business in helping find a way to alleviate the misery of the Palestinian people. How can he hope to be credible to the Palestinians and Israelis by even considering residing in the former palace of the former British High Commissioner to Palestine? Can't he understand that this building is a symbol of everthing bad, wrong and evil in the middle-east?

Why hasn't the Times covreed the "Axis of Evil Summit" in Damascus, where Iran's Ahamedinajad signed a "strategic Alliance Treaty" with Syria, promising more than $1 BILIION for Syrian arms purchases, and missle and rocket building factories, on condition that Syrai not enter into peace negotiations with Israel? This is not a "minor story"! Why has it not been covered?

A. Pedterson, London, UK