Blair’s Mideast peace hopes
Mr Blair was speaking in Downing Street after US President George Bush said America would publish its peace plan after Mahmoud Abbas is confirmed in his role as a powerful prime minister of the Palestinian Authority under President Yasser Arafat.
Mr Blair told reporters: “I have just spoken to the incoming Palestinian prime minister and Chairman Arafat following the announcement that the president made.
“The most important thing we can do is show even-handedness towards the Middle East.
“We are right to focus on Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction but we must put equal focus on the people whose lives are being devastated by the lack of progress in the Middle East peace process.”
Mr Blair said that included innocent Israeli civilians and Palestinians who have suffered as a result of the conflict in the region.
The prime minister, in comments obviously carefully choreographed with the White House as part of the build-up to war on Iraq, said of the Middle East peace process: “It’s a vital issue in its own right.”
And he said he would use “whatever influence I can to ensure these talks are started without delay”.
Mr Blair refused to take questions on Iraq.
Mr Bush, speaking earlier in the Rose Garden of the White House, called on both sides in the long
Israel-Palestinian conflict to “abandon old hatreds and to meet their responsibility for peace”.
He said the “road map” would set forth a sequence of steps, “goals shared by all the parties”.
Mr Bush said the US would unveil a long-delayed Middle East peace plan with the goal of creating a Palestinian state when the Palestinians install a new prime minister with “real authority”.
“We expect that such a Palestinian prime minister will be confirmed soon.
“Immediately upon confirmation, the road map for peace will be given to the Palestinians and the Israelis,” Bush said in a hastily arranged appearance in the White House Rose Garden with Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Palestinian President Yasser Mr Arafat has named Mahmoud Abbas, widely known as Abu Mazen, to be prime minister, but Abbas has not yet accepted the post.
Arafat created the position in response to US and Israeli pressure to dilute his own power.
Bush said the prime minister must have real power.
“To be a credible and responsible partner, the new Palestinian prime minister must hold a position of real authority,” he said.
As progress is made toward peace, Israelis settlement activity in the occupied territories must end, he added.
