Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., March 16, 2008 Adar2 10, 5768 | | Israel Time: 11:34 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Quartet envoy Tony Blair addressing a press conference in Ramallah on Tuesday. (AP) Last update - 23:33 14/03/2008 Merkel, Blair planning Middle East summit in Berlin for June By Reuters Tags: Israel, Palestinians  German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Quartet envoy Tony Blair will jointly organize a Middle East peace conference to be held at the beginning of June in Berlin, the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported Friday. A spokesman for Merkel, Ulrich Wilhelm, confirmed the report, adding that the chancellor had spoken with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the conference by telephone on Friday. All European Union members, several Arab states, the Middle East quartet of Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, and Palestinian and Israeli officials will be invited to the talks, the paper said, without identifying the source of its information. Advertisement The aim of the meeting, which will be at the level of foreign ministers, will be to push forward the peace process and prepare Palestinians to take over responsibility for their own state, the paper added, in a preview of its Saturday edition. U.S.-backed peace talks launched in November have been bogged down by ongoing violence as well as continued Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank. The Sueddeutsche Zeitung said officials meeting in Berlin will discuss building up the Palestinian police force and the development of the legal system and justice apparatus. Nations including Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates would play an important role at the talks and Israeli and Palestinian officials had already pledged to attend. Merkel becomes the first German chancellor to address the Knesset next week. Her three-day trip, starting on Sunday, marks the 60th anniversary of the Israel's creation in 1948. She will be accompanied by several cabinet ministers and will hold talks on Monday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Related articles: PA slams Barak absence at talks with U.S. road map envoy EU demands Israel halt all construction in W. Bank, E. J'lem Berlin official: Merkel speech to Knesset signals normalizing ties Bookmark to del.icio.us   Not even for Natalie A Haredi actor quits Natalie Portman's latest film due to rabbis' protests. Al-Jazeera boycott Al-Jazeera slams Israeli boycott as attack on free expression.   1.   No one remembers.... 20:46  |  Jeff 14/03/08   2.   Pals need $$billions so they dont need to make peace with IL 20:51  |  Alan 14/03/08   3.   What friends are for? 21:01  |  Mandela 14/03/08   4.   Oh no, not again 21:23  |  Warmonger 14/03/08   5.   Quartet & Palestinian statehood. 21:26  |  curious 14/03/08   6.   Like sheep to the slaughter 22:26  |  Jonathan S 14/03/08   7.   Phony Blair & the Crime Syndicate trying to distract from the 23:13  |  lakshmi 14/03/08   8.   Necessary step forward 23:15  |  Yoram 14/03/08   9.   LAKSHMI 03:00  |  Avi 15/03/08   10.   Hey Alan.... 05:28  |  Asad 15/03/08   11.   Prosperity: Gaza,S Lebanon, Afghanistan. Mideast Peace Keys. 07:58  |  John I aka Y Gideon 15/03/08   12.   WHAT NOW? 12:55  |  indrajaya 15/03/08   13.   12 Indrajaya,as you know,in addition to the settlements,they are 13:39  |  lakshmi 15/03/08   14.   9 Avi,Palestine is the last of the Liberation movements! 14:15  |  lakshmi 15/03/08   15.   Next, Tony the Pomeranian 16:33  |  Mark Lincoln 15/03/08   16.   # 13, LAKSHMI 16:47  |  indrajaya 15/03/08   17.   9 Avi 17:47  |  jose marcio 15/03/08   18.   9 Avi 17:47  |  jose marcio 15/03/08   19.   Hold it in Sederot instead 11:18  |  Burned Liberal 16/03/08

Today Online IAF resumes Gaza strikes, kills 3 Islamic Jihad men Responses: 78 Gideon Levy: Barak trying his best to ruin peace process Responses: 16 Uzi Benziman: Hawkish Israeli public leaves no room for Meretz Responses: 9 Bush to push Israel, PA for progress before his May visit Responses: 21 Rosner's Domain If you marry them, you have a better chance of keeping them State Department: UN measures fuel anti-Semitism (WTR) Poll: Is the "road map" still relevant? Neocons and the cultural proclivity of Jews (WTR) General Fraser and the third whiner More Headlines 11:17 Netanyahu files NIS 2M libel suit over Ch. 10 spending expose 11:19 IAF strike kills three Islamic Jihad militants in northern Gaza 09:34 ANALYSIS: Say goodbye to quiet after Gaza militant deaths 07:11 Bush to push Israel, PA for progress before his May visit 08:18 Report: Syria wants 'public' peace talks with Israel 10:04 Treasury finally admits: Israel facing economic slowdown 10:55 Falashmura slam gov't treatment of immigration applications 11:20 Woman injured from gunfire in suspected 'honor killing' attempt 10:22 Tibetan exiles in Tel Aviv protest Chinese crackdown in Tibet 02:34 Merkel to arrive in Israel, will be first chancellor to address Knesset 04:18 U.S. gov't asks Congress to okay plan to boost funds for PA police 00:29 Firebombs hurled into home of Jewish Agency representative in U.S. Previous Editions Select Day 14 mar 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar

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