Bethlehem – Ma‘an – Aides to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said that Abbas will meet in Ramallah on Tuesday with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Middle East envoy of the international Quartet. Officials at Abbas‘ office described the nature of the visit as "exploratory."
The Quartet is composed of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union, and Russia. Blair‘s mandate as Middle East envoy is limited to building up Palestinian institutions, and does not include the power to address so-called "final status" issues such as borders or the fate of Palestinian refugees. The Israeli daily Haaretz reported, however, that Israeli officials expect Blair to "stray from his mandate" during his visit to the region, and raise the question of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Hamas ‘willing to talk‘
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said on Monday that Hamas is willing to talk with Tony Blair in his capacity as the Quartet‘s envoy to the Middle East.
In an interview published by the London Times on Monday, Zuhri stated that "we won‘t say no to anybody, including Tony Blair," adding that Hamas is "willing to have contact with whoever, as long as it‘s not the occupier [Israel]."
Hamas responded outraged to Blair‘s appointment as the Middle East Peace Quartet‘s envoy to the Middle East at the end of June. The movement warned Blair not to ignore them, claiming that his mission would fail if he did not talk to Hamas.
In the coming week, Blair will first meet with Israeli officials in Jerusalem and then with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday in Ramallah.
It is unlikely that Blair, as head of the Middle East Quartet, will meet with Hamas. The Quartet has decided to isolate Hamas in an attempt to strengthen President Abbas and the caretaker government in the West Bank.
However, there have been increasing calls for dialogue with Hamas, including from Colin Powell, former United States Secretary of State, and in a letter to Blair from ten European foreign ministers, including those of France, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Israel ‘apprehensive‘
Israeli sources are somewhat apprehensive about Blair‘s appointment. Haaretz, the Israeli daily newspaper, reported on Monday that Israeli sources in Jerusalem expect Blair to stray from his mandate.
Officials in the Israeli Prime Minister‘s Office told Haaretz that Israel would make sure that this does not happen, "The way we understand his mandate, he will concentrate on building institutions in the Palestinian Authority to bolster the chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, and this is what we will discuss with him."
"As far as the final settlement is concerned – this will be carried out in direct negotiations with the Palestinians," said the officials.
The Israeli sources expect that Blair will first focus on gaining the confidence of the two sides in the framework of his mandate, and will not rush into any far-reaching efforts that will prove detrimental to the credibility of either himself or the mission.
"When [Blair] talks to Hamas, then we‘ll react," an official close to Israel‘s Prime Minster, Ehud Olmert, said.
***Updated at 14:38