Netanyahu: Blair brought parties in Mideast closer

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday praised Mideast envoy Tony Blair, who stepped down from his post as Quartet peace envoy earlier that day.

“Blair acted to advance important economic projects between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and in his wisdom helped many times to reconcile the positions of the parties in the region, including during times of crisis.” Netanyahu said.

The former British prime minister had greatly assisted in bridging the gaps between leaders and people in the region, Netanyahu added.

The Quartet — which includes the US, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations — appointed Blair to the post 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.

Blair’s term as Quartet envoy to the Middle East began with great promise, but he struggled to deliver dramatic changes in his quest to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

According to officials, Blair quickly found himself fighting 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.

One official familiar with the work of the Quartet said Blair had also 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.

“[Blair] expended a great deal of effort over the last few years promoting peace and stability in the region,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “His profound understanding of the Middle East has helped him develop a reliable relationship with state leaders in the region.”

The prime minister added that he deeply “appreciates and values” Blair’s work, and hopes “that in the future he may continue to contribute his experience in order to advance peace and stability in the region.”

According to his office’s website, Blair succeeded in helping remove dozens of Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank, easing the movement of workers and Palestinian products to markets. He also helped boost tourism in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, helped secure thousands of permits for Palestinian laborers to work in Israel and helped engineer a $350 million mobile phone investment in the West Bank, creating thousands of jobs.

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.