Middle East peace process 'non-existent'

Is Bush's Middle East peace plan still on track?

Wednesday, 28, May 2008 12:00

A senior advisor to Hillary Clinton in her push to become Democratic nominee for the White House has called George Bush's Middle East plan "non-existent".

Sidney Blumenthal, former aide to Bill Clinton during his presidency, poured cold water on the renewed peace process and on the possibilities of reviving it under a future Democratic administration.

"It's hard to know what the point of departure is for a renewed peace process," he continued.

Mr Blumenthal was speaking at a Fabian Society event in central London in which he received many angry questions from the audience about Mrs Clinton's use of race in her campaign for the nomination.

He argued the "many charges" made against her in this regard were usually false and intended to incite the very opinion of her the audience were expressing.

Mr Blumenthal claimed Mrs Clinton was "keenly aware" of the "sexism" directed towards her from American cable television, but that she chooses to ignore it.

"Female victimisation turns off male voters," he said.

He also warned the primarily left-of-centre audience to be cautious before it proclaimed the end of the religious right in America.

"The religious right is still there," he said.

"They're very potent. They have powerful organisations and those that think they're going to go away are fooling themselves."