Blair close to clinching Middle East envoy post

By Adam Entous

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Major Western powers agreed on Wednesday on the mandate for a new Middle East envoy and were expected to name Tony Blair to the position after he stepped down as British prime minister.

Blair acknowledged the difficulties of a high-stakes peacemaking role meant to steer the Palestinians towards statehood following Hamas's violent takeover of the Gaza Strip.

In the deadliest raid in Gaza since Hamas seized control of the coastal territory two weeks ago, Israeli forces killed at least 12 Palestinians, mostly gunmen but also a 12-year-old boy.

Some European diplomats have raised questions about Blair's ability to garner broad Palestinian and Arab public support because of his leading role in the Iraq war and his close relationship with U.S. President George W. Bush.

Hamas, shunned by the United States and its European allies after winning elections 18 months ago, sought to cast Blair as an ally of Israel, not the Palestinian people.

Blair spoke by telephone to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose government has been holding up his appointment as special envoy for the Quartet of Middle East mediators.

"The Quartet has concluded the elaboration of a mandate for the new representative," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in the West Bank city of Ramallah when asked if Moscow would support Blair. "I understand that the decision is about to be announced."

INSTITUTIONS

Quartet partners the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations intend to ask Blair to work with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on building up institutions needed for a future state, diplomats said.

Asked what his priority would be if he took on the role, Blair told parliament: "The absolute priority is to try to give effect to what is now the consensus across the international community -- that the only way of bringing stability and peace to the Middle East is a two-state solution."

That meant a secure Israel and a Palestinian state "that is not merely viable in terms of its territory but in terms of its institutions and governance," he said. "I believe it is possible to do that but it will require a huge intensity of focus and work."

Washington's goal is to relaunch statehood talks with Abbas in the occupied West Bank but Israel, calling on Palestinians to first rein in militants, has resisted U.S. pressure to negotiate final-status issues: the fate of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and borders.

Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert welcomed the planned appointment of Blair, aides said.

Hamas official Ghazi Hamad was hostile: "We do not expect Blair's role to be fair in any issue relating to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict or any other Arab-related cause."

Blair's appointment was delayed when Russia balked at giving a green light to the appointment during a meeting of Quartet representatives in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Relations between London and Moscow have been sour over Britain's probe of a murder in London of a former Soviet agent.