VARIOUS: Mixed expectations preceed Tony Blair's first visit to Middle East as 'Quartet' envoy

A spokesman from the Palestinian government led by President Mahmoud Abbas welcomes Tony Blair's upcoming arrival in the Middle East as a Quartet envoy, while a Hamas spokesman says he expects Blair to fail in his efforts to lay groundwork for a peace process. A spokesman from the Israeli Foreign Ministry says Blair has a unique role to play. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair begins his first visit to Jerusalem as international envoy on Monday (July 23), hoping to help end 60 years of peacemaking failures since Britain handed Palestine to a Jewish state and Arabs who refused to accept it. He has been asked by the Quartet powers -- the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia to present by September an initial plan for building up institutions that can finally establish a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel. That role, which he will discuss with Israel and Palestinian leaders on a short visit of barely 24 hours, may expand into more direct involvement in mediation, a senior diplomat said. Stacked against Blair's chances of surviving what has proven a poisoned chalice down the years, are last month's bloody schism between Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and Gaza, a weak israeli government, and Arab resentment at his role in invading Iraq and rivalries within the Quartet over his negotiating mandate. Riad Al-Maliki is the Palestinian Information Minister in the government headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, and President Mahmoud Abbas. "It's very clear that, you know, previous envoys did not succeed because they did not get the collaboration from the Israeli side. This time, Israel has shown its willingness to collaborate fully with him - this is really one point. The second point that you know he has been appointed by President Bush, and this has very significant meaning. It means that the Americans will be contributing to his success. And thirdly, that everybody knows that he's determined really to achieve a success where he failed in the war in Iraq. And you know, we have to give him a chance to succeed and as a result we, the Palestinian government - we are determined to provide whatever is needed from our part in order to make his mission a successful one," al-Maliki told Reuters in the West Bank City of Gaza. But while Blair has a relationship with Palestinian President Abbas, the situation is very different in Gaza, where Hamas militants seized control in a violent thrust last month. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri says the outlook towards what progress Blair can make in Gaza is much less optimistic. "Tony Blair is a biased person, who sides with Israel, and we do not expect his mission to succeed in Palestine, first because he is a man of war and who makes war and cannot make peace. Second, because his policy would be based on marginalising and bypassing Hamas in favour of the leadership of the Palestinian Authority. No process could succeed in the region if the Hamas movement was marginalised. Any process in the region that marginalised Hamas would certainly fail," Abu Zuhri said. In Israel, however, where Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government has been attempting to boost Palestinian President Abbas's government by restarting talks, and releasing prisoners, officials publicly welcomed Blair's arrival. Mark Regev is a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry. "Over the last week or two, we've had a more positive atmosphere in the region. We've seen the resumption of contacts between the Israeli government and the Palestinian government. We've seen cooperation on economic issues, security issues - discussions of political issues. And I think the former Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, comes here at a time of unique opportunity and he really does have a positive role to play," Regev told Reuters. During his visit, Blair is expected to meet with Olmert, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and other Israeli officials in Jerusalem. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Blair is expected to meet with Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. On Friday, Blair plans to meet in London with top United Nations, World Bank and EU officials, diplomats said. Blair is expected to return to the Middle East again in early September for up to two weeks to complete an action plan that will be presented to the Quartet at a meeting tentatively scheduled for the last week of September.

ITN Source | July 23, 2007

Tags:. .poisoned. .jewish. .collaboration. .collaborate. .appointed