PALESTINIAN LEADERS are calling for former British prime minister Tony Blair to resign his post as the international community’s envoy to the Middle East.
Top officials in the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which includes most Palestinian factions, charge that Mr Blair – who represents the so-called Mideast Quartet that includes the US, UN, European Union and Russia – prefers to look out for Israel’s interests rather than acting as an honest broker.
Mohammad Ishtayeh, a top member of Fatah, which dominates the PLO, and a confidant of Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian president, said in an interview: “I call on him to resign. There is a consensus among the Palestinian leadership that people are dissatisfied with his performance.”
Mr Ishtayeh added that Palestinian leaders would convey to the quartet their demand for the removal of Mr Blair: “We will ask in our own way. There are open channels between us.”
Mr Ishtayeh added Mr Blair had “been useless” to the Palestinians as envoy.
The tensions are the latest obstacle to international efforts to reignite peace talks that have stalled for more than a year. The Palestinians’ growing hostility is also a sign they are unlikely to accept a new quartet proposal, largely driven by Mr Blair, calling for negotiations to be renewed within weeks and concluded by the end of 2012.
The proposal is an attempt to avoid a clash between Israel and the Palestinians over the latter’s controversial bid to gain full UN membership and recognition of their independent statehood. Israel fiercely opposes the quest, insisting that a Palestinian state should only be created through direct negotiations.
Nabil Shaath, an aide to Mr Abbas, said Palestinian officials were bitter that the quartet envoy had joined Israel’s campaign against the UN quest. He said: “He simply does not want to do anything that angers the Israelis, which sometimes makes him sound like them.”
According to Mr Shaath, the Palestinians have not yet asked for Mr Blair to be replaced.
A spokesman for Mr Blair denied the envoy had a pro-Israel bias. He said Mr Blair “totally understands the frustration” that led to the UN bid. A western diplomat said the quartet was unlikely to dismiss him: “At the highest levels, Blair retains the confidence of the political leadership of the quartet, except maybe Russia, which I can’t see wanting a massive fight over him.” – (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2011)