On the fight against extremism, he said:
“In fighting extremism, the West has got to get itself out of a mind-set that says “right, we’re now going to solve this problem.” This is a generational struggle. We should get into the rhythm of thinking more like the Cold War. This went on for many decades and through different periods, but if you said to somebody in the 1980s that you were fed up with this struggle and that you are going to give up, people would have said: you can’t, this is a struggle for our values, and I’m afraid we’re just in it. We’ve got to get into that rhythm of thinking with extremism. We have an interest in the outcome and, whether we like it or not, we’re going to have to get engaged.
“The only question is then: what is the nature of that engagement? The big opportunity we have today – that wasn’t available when I was Prime Minister – is that across the whole of the Middle East and in the Muslim world there are allies. There are people who feel really angry and determined about the capture of their religion by extremists. There are people who want to show and prove that Islam and democracy can co-exist. These are the people we have to work with today. But they need to know we’re with them.”
On the Middle East Peace Process, Mr. Blair said:
“Provided Israel and the Israeli Government is prepared to commit to a discussion around the Arab Peace Initiative, as the context in which the negotiation with the Palestine Authority took place, then it would be possible to have some steps to normalisation. With the new leadership in the Middle East that’s possible to do.
“A lot will depend obviously on the response, first of all on the Israeli Government to the initiative of President Sisi and to the API, and then the response to whatever steps the Israelis are prepared to take. But I think this gives us a better opportunity to resolve this issue than virtually anything else since the creation of the State of Israel.”
On Britain Europe, he said that:
“If Britain votes to remain, it’s got a big opportunity in Europe. The truth of it is: the case that Britain’s making for reform in Europe is basically right. It’s got allies on that. Europe needs Britain’s leadership. There are a whole series of issues that are tackled in a much better way if Britain is there and active.
“Britain, when it seeks to lead in Europe, and when it builds the right partnerships and alliances, it usually gets its way. We did this over the single market, over enlargement of Europe, which is still an enormous British achievement. We have done it in successive budget negotiations."