DownloadMarch 30, 2009 issue
West Bank CPT team meets with British diplomat
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AT-TUWANI, West Bank — British diplomat Tony Blair met with members of Christian Peacemaker Teams while visiting this Palestinian village in the southern West Bank March 19.
Blair, the former British prime minister, was traveling as a representative of the Quartet on the Middle East, a diplomatic group mediating the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
The United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations make up the quartet.
The Palestine CPT team and their partner organization, Operation Dove, described to Blair the attacks and harassment Palestinians experience from Israeli settlers and soldiers when Palestinians attempt to access their own land.
They also talked about Israeli government inaction toward settler aggression, exemplified by the government’s failure to follow through with the demolition orders on the illegal Israeli outpost of Havat Ma’on.
Blair fielded a question on what he will do about the situation.
“It’s got to be stopped, hasn’t it?” Blair said. “This is what should happen. But it needs to be done in a systematic way so that the whole way this area is looked at and administered is changed to make it fair.”
Blair also addressed living conditions in Area C, the part of the West Bank under Israeli military and civilian control, which includes At-Tuwani.
Blair said his reason for visiting was “really to draw attention to the fact that without a new and different system applying in Area C, then it is very hard for Palestinians to enjoy the standard of living that they should enjoy and be able to develop their land as they should be able to develop in freedom.”
Tarek Abuata, CPT Palestine project support coordinator, said the high-level visit drew attention to violence in the area.
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