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Fresh Round of MidEast Diplomacy this Week

Representatives of the Quartet – the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, are meeting in Jerusalem on Tuesday to discuss the recent developments on the Palestinian side.
 
The Quartet is the sponsor of the Road Map peace plan.
 
This will be their first meeting since Hamas took over Gaza. There is currently a complicated situation of dual Palestinian governments, with Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip and Fatah holding sway in the West Bank.
 
An emergency government of independent ministers was formed last week in the West Bank.
 
The Quartet representatives are likely to discuss the appointment of British Prime Minister Tony Blair as the Quartet envoy.
 
In this capacity, Blair, who steps down from his premiership on Wednesday, would help Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas build up economic institutions and implement economic and political reforms.
 
Blair’s appointment has not been confirmed.
 
The administration of U.S. President George W. Bush wishes to jumpstart peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians and bolster ‘Abbas.
 
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with ‘Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan’s King ‘Abdallah II in Egypt’s Sharm A-Sheikh on Monday.
 
Olmert wishes to use the new reality in the Palestinian areas as an opportunity to open a channel of dialogue with moderate Palestinian leaders and advance the peace process.
 
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice might be arriving in Israel during the course of the week for a fresh round of diplomacy.
 
Meanwhile, Hamas has aired an audio cassette with the voice of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was kidnapped one year ago. Shalit read a pre-dictated message, where he called on the Israeli government to show more interest in his fate.
 
A few hours later Olmert referred to the tape during his closing speech at the Sharm A-Sheikh regional summit. 
 
“The terror organizations are repeatedly showing their cruelty. They are trying to manipulate – an example of which we saw today – but it will not work,” Olmert said.
 
Olmert also, for the first time, said Israel would release 250 Fatah prisoners. He stressed, however, that no prisoners "with blood on their hands" would be released.