British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Israel on Sunday
night for talks aimed at trying to restart Middle East peace
process, while internal Palestinian violence exploded across the
Gaza Strip.
Blair touched down in Tel Aviv in the evening from Iraq and is
due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday
before his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Earlier in the day, Blair, who is in his regional tour, arrived
in Baghdad on an unannounced visit, where he said to lend support
to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to curb sectarian violence
in the war-torn country, al-Jazeera English channel reported.
During a joint news conference with Maliki shortly after his
arrival in Baghdad, Blair called on all countries in the Middle
East region to support the Iraqi government.
On Saturday, Blair talked about the Palestine issue and voiced
his support to President Abbas' call for new elections in a bid to
break the stalemate between his Fatah faction and the Hamas-led
cabinet, a deadlock that has degenerated into worsening street
violence between the rival groups.
(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2006)
