FM Livni: Blair's visit provides chance for breakthrough

The meetings held yesterday between the Quartet's Middle East envoy Tony Blair and Israeli leaders dominate all Middle East-related news in the UK media today. The Times carries two opinion pieces on Blair's appointment as Middle East envoy and the mandate he holds in his position. Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph notes pressure on Tony Blair to consider talking with Hamas. The Guardian carries an interview with former Israeli-Arab Parliamentarian Azmi Bishara, who is under investigation for a number of charges including assisting the enemy during war. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Palestinian gunmen stormed the offices of a senior Fatah lawmaker in Gaza. The news wire also notes that Canada has resumed aid to the Palestinian Authority with a direct payment of $7.6 million. The Financial Times notes that sanctions imposed on Iran are failing to cause dissent among the citizens. In related news, BBC Online notes that Iranian and American officials are set to hold a second round of talks on the security situation in Iraq.

In the Israeli press today, all papers report on the meetings held yesterday by Middle East envoy Tony Blair with Israeli officials as he starts his new role as the international Quartet's envoy to the region. In addition, the papers note that Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that Blair's visit could be a critical chance for a breakthrough in the peace process. Most papers also note that Israeli security officials said that Hezbollah's long range missile capabilities have been replenished since the war more than a year ago. The papers, however, note that attempts by Hezbollah to infiltrate into Palestinian terror groups in the West Bank have been thwarted by the Israeli security forces. In other news, all papers report that a public sector strike in Israel looks likely to take place on Wednesday following a dispute with Labour Federation leaders and Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On over public sector wages. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post notes that Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters in London yesterday that he believed that economic sanctions imposed on Tehran will be effective but "would not rule out action of another kind". Ynetnews reports that Tom Hickey, the man who proposed the UCU motion to boycott Israel has complained that he has been a victim of "sustained vilification" by US professors and supporters of Israel. In other news, the web site notes that a Qassam rocket landed yesterday in the south of Ashkelon, destroying a house and injuring three people.

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