London has won Washington support to hold an international peace conference on the Middle East early next year, The Telegraph reported Monday. The meeting, planned for late January or early February, is likely to be attended by foreign ministers.
But it is not yet clear that Israel will dispatch a delegation at that level. If it does not attend, the conference is expected to go ahead with the Palestinian, Arab, American and European participants. British PM Tony Blair will discuss the details with Israeli and Palestinian officials when he visits the Middle East this month.
According to the newspaper, Washington appeared to object the idea at first when the Blair met President George W. Bush a few weeks ago. But the plan has been revived and now has America's support.
The conference will probably be announced only after the Palestinian elections on Jan. 9 and will depend on the victory of Mahmoud Abbas. The challenge by the uprising leader, Marwan Barghouti, who has said he will stand for election from his Israeli prison cell, could upset Britain's plans, the newspaper added.
"If Barghouti is elected, there will be no conference," an Israeli source said. "It would be the wrong signal to send to the Israeli electorate."
