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Quartet envoy Tony Blair meeting with President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, in July of this year. (Archives)
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PM, Blair discuss confidence-building between Israel, Palestinians
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and news agencies

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Middle East envoy Tony Blair in Jerusalem Tuesday, and the two discussed practical steps that would contribute to confidence building between Israel and the Palestinians.

Much of the discussion focused on issues of security, in particular the steps that Israel expects the Palestinians to take in order for the IDF to ease restrictions on the movement of the population in the West Bank.

"The prime minister is willing to take practical steps, but these steps cannot be one-sided," Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin said after the meeting, which lasted more than two hours.

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Olmert said that the Palestinian Authority needed to take practical steps against terrorism, and that it must decide who is a "militant" and carry out the necessary arrests.

"They need to carry out the arrests and uncover the hide outs of militants, and carry out an orderly confiscation of illegal weapons," Olmert told the former British prime minister.

The prime minister emphasized that the Palestinian Authority must first demonstrate its ability to govern, and only then will it be able to establish a state.

"Therefore, practical steps are the crux of the issue," Olmert said. "Providing services to the civilians, providing jobs and security," he added.

Eisin said Olmert and Blair also discussed the steps that Abbas should take, such as bolstering his security forces and Palestinian governing institutions following Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip in June.

Olmert and Blair also discussed economic issues, and ways for private investors to contribute to the Palestinian economy.

A Blair spokesman described the meeting as "constructive," but declined to go into detail. Blair will meet today with Salam Fayyad, whom Abbas appointed prime minister after dismissing a Hamas-led government.

Earlier, Israel and Palestinian businessmen met for the first time in order to discuss an economic conference, scheduled to be held in Tel Aviv in October, with the participation of Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Representatives from the bureaus of Olmert and Abbas were present at the meeting.

To date, some 50 Israeli investors and businessmen have expressed interest in participating in such a conference, but there have been problems attracting Palestinian
businessmen.

Also Tuesday, Blair met with his staff, a team of 10 diplomats, for the first time since his appointment as Middle East envoy for the international Quartet.

The Quartet is composed of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations.

Diplomats said Blair intended to use his 10-day visit to press for details about what both sides would be prepared to do to bolster any future negotiations.

Visiting Assistant U.S. Secretary of State David Welch has a similar aim.

Diplomats said he will meet with Olmert's top aides today to try to narrow differences over the scope of a proposed agreement on statehood principles that could be launched at the conference.

"We are trying to present realistic goals," a senior Israeli government official said ahead of the talks, which will lay the groundwork for a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice later in the month.
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  1.   Meeting Blair-Olmert should be held at Sderot 11:30  |  Absolute Sweden 04/09/07
  2.   Nothing will move unless and until the Palestinians stop attackin 11:35  |  Dafna 04/09/07
  3.   Blair Can do it if ..-p.1 11:56  |  Akram Zekaria 04/09/07
  4.   A LAST DESPERATE ATTEMPT BY A POODLE 12:14  |  indrajaya 04/09/07
  5.   Blair can do it if.. p-2 12:26  |  Akram Zekaria 04/09/07
  6.   The puppet Blair is so useless 14:31  |  Stephen Murray 04/09/07
  7.   BRITAIN OUT OF THE FALKLANDS & GIBRALTAR FIRST. 16:22  |  Alan 04/09/07
  8.   time 16:37  |  peter vdh 04/09/07
  9.   Tony Blair (failed PM) 16:45  |  Cyasher 04/09/07
  10.   absolute sweden 17:00  |  Robert Of Jerusalem 04/09/07
  11.   Olmert needs a back-hoe 17:19  |  Mark Lincoln 04/09/07
  12.   Now, now Indrajaya 17:21  |  Mark Lincoln 04/09/07
  13.   Nothing will move unless 18:15  |  Murray 04/09/07
  14.   No to Blair 18:30  |  Brod 04/09/07
  15.   Higher Expectations with Barghouty & Barak 19:03  |  Robert of Jerusalem 04/09/07
  16.   Expectations 19:39  |  Outsider 04/09/07
  17.   #9 Cyasher re Failed Pm 19:41  |  Labhras 04/09/07
  18.   Stephen Murray Islamist-Jihadist Crap #6 19:46  |  Brod 04/09/07
  19.   #1 Or Deir Yassin? Or Old Hebron? 20:12  |  Don Camillo 04/09/07
  20.   Blair`s Visit 21:54  |  Stephen 04/09/07
  21.   TO #2 dAFNA 22:59  |  Oetis 04/09/07
  22.   Abu Camillo,Hebron is a Jewish city,city of Patriarchs 23:11  |  Absolute Sweden 04/09/07
  23.   #7 UK out of Gib and falklands first? Why? 23:43  |  Don Camillo 04/09/07
  24.   Dafna? 00:44  |  Interested in truth 05/09/07
  25.   Instead of adding fuel to fire 00:47  |  Interested in truth 05/09/07
  26.   Blair: Go home 01:19  |  Frank 05/09/07
  27.   Israeli communication with Palestinians is laborious 01:42  |  Sam 05/09/07
  28.   What The US Guy Has To Say Is Of Critical Importance 01:55  |  chet 05/09/07
  29.   Tony Blair (failed PM) Labhras 17# 02:14  |  Cyasher 05/09/07
  30.   Olmert trying to sabatoge peace efforts.... 02:38  |  Ibrahim 05/09/07
  31.   The Israeli`s left Paymaster Arrives 02:38  |  ralphsrant1 05/09/07
  32.   #24 Cyasher 03:44  |  Labhras 05/09/07
  33.   #25 Ibrahim re Blair 03:53  |  Labhras 05/09/07
  34.   Britain ?occupier 04:13  |  Greg Finkelstein 05/09/07
  35.   Olmert and the Steamroller 04:37  |  Danite 05/09/07
  36.   Ibrahim 04:38  |  Danite 05/09/07
  37.   Don Camillo Please 04:40  |  Danite 05/09/07
  38.   Mark Lincolns deliriums grow worse 04:43  |  Danite 05/09/07
  39.   Selling out Temple Mount and Jerusalem part 1 04:48  |  Lisen 05/09/07
  40.   Labrhas the hypocrite 04:51  |  Danite 05/09/07
  41.   Selling out history part 2 04:53  |  Lisen 05/09/07
  42.   Selling out history part 3 05:13  |  Lisen 05/09/07
  43.   Selling out histroy part 4 05:17  |  Lisen 05/09/07
  44.   To Mark Lincoln. Some essentials please.. 06:10  |  Akram Zekaria 05/09/07
  45.   Ibrahim: Read the Story Again & Don`t Be a Babhy 06:39  |  Brad 05/09/07
  46.   Lisen # 39 06:43  |  Brad 05/09/07
  47.   Lisen: #41 Some Water Laws are Needed Too 06:46  |  Brad 05/09/07
  48.   "...ability to govern"? 07:00  |  Webster 05/09/07
  49.   # 12, MARK LINCOLN 08:07  |  indrajaya 05/09/07
  50.   Workable plan for painless end to the Israeli "occupation": 08:44  |  Uzi 05/09/07
  51.   ABILITY TO GOVERN, MY ARSEE 08:52  |  indrajaya 05/09/07
  52.   To Oetis # 21 - There are no` children of Palestine` 09:21  |  Dolly 05/09/07
  53.   To Webster # 48 Can the PA really govern? 09:47  |  Miss Mark 05/09/07
  54.   #30 Ibrahim 12:50  |  Boycott 05/09/07
  55.   "40 Danite 13:07  |  Labhras 05/09/07
  56.   Blair abandons his Northern Ireland peace approach 13:31  |  Labhras 05/09/07
  57.   #35 Danite 13:37  |  Labhras 05/09/07
  58.   53# Miss Mark. The answer is never.. 14:20  |  Akram Zekaria 05/09/07
  59.   Confidence between Israeli and Fakestinians? 15:00  |  Frank 05/09/07
  60.   #29cyasher that doesnt stop labrase the master of sfa 15:36  |  victor hardman 05/09/07
  61.   No 56 Labhras 16:04  |  Gerald 05/09/07
  62.   I agree with the idea of confidence building 16:48  |  Nechama 05/09/07
  63.   Mr. Blair EXPERIENCE Your PEACE Process-Move to Sderot 17:02  |  Linda Rivera 05/09/07
  64.   Falklands and Gibraltar 18:08  |  B 05/09/07
  65.   #Brad..The whole picture.. 18:39  |  Lisen 05/09/07
  66.   #64 B and his fairness 07:27  |  Johnboy 06/09/07
  67.   #62 Nechama 07:30  |  Johnboy 06/09/07
  68.   #6 stephen 17:57  |  Observer 06/09/07
  69.   #50 workable plan 18:07  |  Observer 06/09/07
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