Blair arrives in Israel for talks on ME peace

Former British prime minister Tony Blair arrived in Israel on Monday for his first visit as the newly appointed envoy for the "Quartet" of Mideast mediators - the US, EU, UN and Russia. During the two-day visit, Blair planned to meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and other top officials. Blair arrived from neighboring Jordan, where he met with Foreign Minister Abdul-Ilah al-Khatib. Jordanian officials said Blair listened to Jordan's perspective on restarting the Mideast peace process.