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Tony Blair resigns as Middle East peace envoy – report Tony Blair resigns as Middle East peace envoy – report
(35 minutes later)
Tony Blair has resigned as envoy for the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators after nearly eight years in the job, the Associated Press is reporting. Tony Blair has resigned as envoy for the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators after nearly eight years in the job, the Associated Press is reporting, ending a term that began with great promise but which struggled to deliver dramatic changes in its quest to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Officials in Jerusalem told the AP that the former British prime minister had written a letter to United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon to confirm his resignation. The quartet consists of the UN, the EU, Russia and the US. Officials in Jerusalem told AP that the former British prime minister had written a letter to United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon to confirm his resignation.
Blair took the office in 2007 with great promise, put in charge of helping develop the Palestinian economy and institutions. A US-led push to revive the Middle East peace process collapsed last year. The quartet, which consists of the UN, the EU, Russia and the US, appointed Blair in 2007 with the goal of helping develop the Palestinian economy and institutions. The mission was meant to prepare the groundwork for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel as part of a peace agreement.
But Blair quickly found himself fighting small battles with Israel over the movement of Palestinian goods and people. With peace efforts stalled, the goal of a two-state solution remains as elusive as ever.
There have long been concerns about a potential for a conflict between Blair’s role in peace negotiations in the Middle East and his business interests, since he advises a number of foreign governments.There have long been concerns about a potential for a conflict between Blair’s role in peace negotiations in the Middle East and his business interests, since he advises a number of foreign governments.
Last year, a group of former British ambassadors joined a campaign calling for Blair to be removed from his role as Middle East envoy, raising objections to the possible clash with his business interests and a attempts to “absolve himself” of responsibility for the crisis in Iraq. Last year, a group of former British ambassadors joined a campaign calling for Blair to be removed from his role as Middle East envoy, raising objections to the possible clash with his business interests and attempts to “absolve himself” of responsibility for the crisis in Iraq.
One official told the AP Blair had suffered “frustration” with the limited authority of his mandate. The official also said that Blair felt his office has a strong leadership team and that now is the right time to move on.
The official said that Blair remains committed to the Quartet’s vision of a two-state solution and hopes to play an “informal” role in promoting peace. One area where he could help is developing relations between Israel and the wider Arab world, the official said.