Tony Blair launches new Middle East peace initiative
Former British prime minister Tony Blair
launched a new campaign for a peace agreement
between Israel and Palestinians in Jerusalem on
Friday.
Blair, who was an envoy for the Middle
East peacemaking Quartet, said he was
now acting as a private citizen to push
for a negotiated settlement.
“What I will do both here and
throughout the region is work through
this Initiative for the Middle East, as I
call it, to try and push and promote…a
political process in the framework of the
Arab peace initiative, major change on
the ground in Gaza and the West Bank,
and Palestinian unity on the basis of
peace,” he said.
The Quartet — the European Union,
Russia, the United Nations and the
United States — appointed Blair to
support the Palestinian economy and
institutions in preparation for eventual
statehood.
But his eight-year tenure failed to
produce a meaningful breakthrough,
with talks between Israel and the
Palestinians being frozen since April
2014.
Blair said his new role allowed him
added freedom to hold frank discussions
with all sides.
Israeli media reports in recent weeks
have suggested Blair has been meeting
with the leaders of the Palestinian
Islamist movement Hamas, which
controls the Gaza Strip, but Blair refused
to publicly confirm such talks.
“I am not going to comment on those
other than to say that what I have found
since leaving the Quartet role is it has
been easier to have conversations of
complete frankness with people,” he
said.
“Since I have the relationships people
may be prepared to be more
forthcoming than when they think you
are representing (the Quartet),” he said.
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