Mideast Quartet sees 'modest successes' on road to permanent peace

An international meeting of Catholic bishops in Jerusalem moves into its last day Thursday. They are offering support to the local Christian Churches in Palestine and Israel as they try to play a reconciling role between the majority Muslim and Jewish communities. The Coordination group has been visiting the Holy sites, praying with local Christians and listening to both religious and political leaders about ways of working for peace in the region.

Philippa Hitchen is following the meeting and spoke with US Ambassador Gary Grappo, head of the Quartet mission in Jerusalem, asking Grappo what improvements the Quartet has been able to achieve. “We’ve had a number of successes,” Grappo said, among which he mentioned the loosening of the Israeli embargo that went into place after an unauthorized aid flotilla attempted to make port in Gaza. “The Quartet, under the leadership of [principal representative, former British Prime Minister] Mr. [Tony] Blair, engaged at a very senior level with the Israeli leadership…and after conciderable negotiation…we were able to achieve a new regime for the importation of humanitarian and even commercial goods into Gaza.” Grappo went on to discuss the Quartet’s role in facilitating the movement of persons and goods both within the West Bank and between the West Bank and Israel. “We’ve been able to reduce the number of check-points, [we’ve] simplified some procedures.”

There is, “a great deal more work to do be done,” in that area, according to Grappo. Still, he says, “we have seen some modest successes.”

Listen to Philippa Hitchen’s extended interview with Ambassador Gary Grappo: