Tony Blair: Israel must respect the freedom of all religions to access their places of worship

The International Quartet for Middle East Peace Envoy, Mr Tony Blair, has said, “Israel must respect and guarantee free access for believers from all religions to their respective holy places for worship.”

The former British prime minister expressed his concerns in a press statement issued from his Jerusalem office on Sunday, following a sharp rise in tensions and violence over the past few days in the Church of the Resurrection and Al-Aqsa Mosque. He urged Israel to respect and guarantee the right of all believers from all religions to access their holy places of worship.

On Israel’s plan to build 296 new units in the illegal “Beit El” settlement in the West Bank, Mr Blair said that the position of the international community on settlements is clear, and that “this decision constitutes an obstacle to peace. I call on all parties to exercise discipline and create an atmosphere that would allow the resumption of the peace talks.”