UAE Foreign Min. tells Blair it is high time for peace in Mideast
Former British prime minister in region on first tour as Quartet's envoy to Mideast; Blair to visit Bahrain.
By The Associated PressThe United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday it was high time for serious efforts toward Middle East peace, as former British prime minister Tony Blair arrived in the Gulf state on his first visit to the region as an emissary for the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators.
"It is high time to find real mechanism to achieve peace...all efforts should be exerted towards just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East so that the Palestinian people achieve their legitimate rights," UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan told Blair.
The UAE's official news agency WAM said Sheikh Abdullah also voiced support for Blair's mandate to revive the stalled peace process between Palestinians and Israel.
Blair earlier spoke of a "moment of opportunity" after he met Palestinian and Israeli leaders on Tuesday but warned that steps towards peace would take time.
On the Gulf leg of his regional tour, Blair is expected to also visit Bahrain. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan form a group set up at an Arab League summit this year to promote the Arab peace initiative, which offers Israel normalized relations with the Arab world in return for a full withdrawal from lands captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day war.
Blair's meetings in the Gulf coincide with a visit by the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan to Israel to promote the Arab peace proposal, which also calls for a just settlement for Palestinians displaced by the establishment of Israel in 1948.
Blair said earlier on his trip that he had come to the Middle East to "listen and reflect" and that he would return for a longer visit in early September.
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UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan speaking with the Quartet's envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. (Reuters) |
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It starts with you recognising Israel's right to exist!
"Could there be a correlation of such natural disaster and tinkering with GOD`s land in the Middle East?" Could there be a correlation between the current heat wave in israel and God's wrath with Israeli politicians? Just asking ...
It is high time for Europe for mediate a real peace in middle east, before suicides bombs reach a POINT of no returns to the whole big cities in Europe.
Blair should not be pandering the causes of the dark forces. Britain has always sided with the dark forces as shown by their efforts of keeping the Jews away from their Biblical and Historic Homeland of Israel in WWII. It is time for Blair to help his countrymen deal with the biggest FLOOD that Britain has ever experienced. Could there be a correlation of such natural disaster and tinkering with GOD's land in the Middle East?
Arabs want a Palestinian state, but no Kurdish state. Nuff Said.
And that's it? Such a long way to travel just to chat and drink bottled water in a nice setting.
with Russia. Tour abominable treatment of your Russian minority will backdire.Don't run to EU for help!
Its also high time for all Arabs states to get rid of their cowardly stance and come one to one to make peace with Israel and not pass the buck to other countries to do their job.
Where's that photo we were all waiting for - the one where Blair snogs Livni?
"UAE Foreign Min. tells Blair it is high time for peace in Mideast" Wish I could come up with original, earthshaking thoughts like that.....
Without Arab support, the peace proccess would be no proccess. The Saudi Plan sets forth the essential principle for peace: return to the 1967 armistice lines, where the war ended, and peace can begin. To reject this offer is not only to prolong the agony, but poses a very real risk of catastrophic war in the Middle East, of which all the Arab diplomats have warned: "Time is not on our side", and the situation demands urgent resolution. High time, high urgency, and the last chance for peace! World leaders are rising to the challenge, thank God!
Well, gee, let's look at the relative position of the "Israelis" versus the "Arabs"... Israel occupies Arab land, so "the Arabs" can, of course, hand over their "Arab-occupied Israeli territory"... Except they don't have any. Israel refuses to allow refugees back into its territory so, of course, the Arabs can allow Jewish Egyptian, Jewish Syrian etc. refugees to return. Except there doesn't seem to be any that WANT to return. Israel demands that "Arab" land be ceded to her, so the "Arabs" can, of course, drop their demand that Israeli land be ceded to them. Except they no longer make those demands. See the difference? What you see as Israeli "concessions" involve Israel DROPPING claims for "More! Gimme more!" She simply abandons her DESIRES, and calls that a "concession". But when you demand Arab "concessions" you require that they GIVE things to Israel - give THEIR land, give up THEIR right to return. Hardly equal "concessions", Ralphie..
it's about achieving peace, not taking. go read history. the palestinians gotten screwed in anyway you look at it. israel is here to stay. balance the two facts and the result may very well be two states for two people.
They've got bigger fish to fry. They don't like the American's 'new Middle East' concepts and they want to get the Americans and the eyes of the world out of here. All the interest centres around the Middle East because of Israel and the draggy peace negotiations. Make peace of whatever kind and they can be left alone to live their own lives without interference.
This UAE jackass should stick his nose in someone else's business. What about Darfur? What about Iraq? and Afghanistan? I can't believe this guys!!!!
Epulse Fatah , Hamas and Kadima ,
arabs opposition to Zionism ,
Kadima OUT ,
Looks like all "moderate" Sunni powers are working in tandem to get a deal going to try and sideline Iran (which works through Hamas and Hezbollah). But it will take more than them talking to "the West" to try and exert pressure on Israel (although that's part of it). It's time they were honest with their own people as well as the Palestinians and told them what a final deal will look like. Otherwise, if they just stoke everyones expectations again, it will be the year 2000 all over again and things will fall apart once more, because the radicals know how to work "the street".
When will Israelis see any Arab Concessions probably never as we give and give and get noting just like Oslo. http://ralphsrant1.blogspot.com/
OF course the UAE says they want Piece of Israel not Peace.