( AP ) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday kicked off his first visit to the Middle East as the international community's new envoy to the region, hoping to add new momentum to fledgling peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.
Blair arrives at a promising time. The Palestinian uprising has fizzled and Israel says it's ready to work with the new Palestinian leadership after seven years of stalemate. But limits on Blair's responsibilities have raised questions about his ability to forge a breakthrough, even before he begins work in the new post.
A month out of office, Blair is serving as a special envoy for the "Quartet" of Middle East peace mediators - the U.S., the European Union, United Nations and Russia. The Quartet is the sponsor of the "road map," a peace plan that aims to create an independent Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel.
Blair touched down in Tel Aviv in a white, unmarked private jet on Monday afternoon, and immediately exited Ben Gurion International Airport in a heavily guarded motorcade through the "Gate of Shalom" terminal.
During his two-day visit, Blair is scheduled to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, including talks Monday with Israel's foreign and defense ministers.
Israeli and Palestinian officials have welcomed the involvement of Blair, who brings a high-profile and well-respected face to Mideast diplomacy. He is known for his powers of persuasion and track record in forging Northern Ireland's peace accord.
But in his new job, Blair has been given a relatively limited assignment: to prepare the ground for a Palestinian state by encouraging reform, economic development and institution-building. There is no mention of trying to help broker a final peace deal. The United States has taken the lead in mediating peace talks and is reluctant to cede such responsibilities.
Such constraints could quickly turn Blair into the latest of a long succession of well-meaning, yet ultimately ineffective mediators.
Ahead of the visit, a word of caution came from James Wolfensohn, Blair's predecessor as envoy of the diplomatic Quartet.
In 2005, Wolfensohn, a former World Bank president, was asked to oversee the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip after Israel's pullout from the area. Wolfensohn accomplished less than he had hoped and saw the last of his achievements - creating a gateway to the world for fenced-in Gazans - unravel after the Islamic militant Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza last month.
Wolfensohn told the Israeli daily Haaretz that while he made some mistakes, his main problem was lack of authority.
The U.S. dominates the Quartet, he noted. "There was never a desire on the part of the Americans to give up control of the (peace) negotiations," Haaretz quoted him as saying.
On the eve of the visit, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad met in Jerusalem with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Palestinian officials said they discussed Blair's mission and other initiatives.
Even in his limited role, Blair will have to confine his work to the West Bank, since the international community continues to shun Hamas, now in control of Gaza.
Still, chances of transforming the West Bank are perhaps better than any time since the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian fighting in 2000, following failed peace talks.
The violence, which left nearly 4,400 Palestinians and more than 1,100 Israelis dead, blocked any progress in peacemaking, but the uprising has run out of steam.
Hamas, responsible for scores of deadly attacks, is largely contained behind Gaza's border fences and on the defensive in the West Bank, while scores of gunmen from Abbas' Fatah movement have surrendered their weapons in exchange for an Israeli amnesty.
The Palestinians are eager to resume negotiations on a final peace deal, but Israel says it's too soon. Israel is willing to talk about general outlines of an agreement, but argues that negotiations can only begin once Abbas has disarmed militants and restored order in areas under his control.