Blair, Abbas to discuss Hamas, unity government

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today it was possible to make progress in the Middle East with ''sensible'' members of the Islamist Hamas party.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will lobby Blair later to intercede with the United States to accept a unity government formed from his Fatah party and Hamas.The two leaders are due to hold a London news conference at 2300 IST.

''I think there are possibilities for progress and I hope that in the coming weeks a framework to take this forward becomes a bit clearer,'' Blair told parliament.

''It's far easier to deal with the situation in Palestine if there is a national unity government ... I hope we can make progress, including even with the more sensible elements of Hamas.'' Washington is cautious about the Palestinian power-sharing pact struck between Abbas and Hamas in the Saudi city of Mecca this month. It wants to continue to shun Hamas, which does not recognise Israel and won an election last year, and has promoted an international aid embargo against the Palestinian Authority.

''President Abbas wants Prime Minister Blair to persuade the Americans that the Mecca deal is the only way out,'' the Palestinian ambassador to London, Manuel Hassassian, said.

''If there is any European country that can influence the Americans it's going to be the UK, given the fact that Blair is a personal friend of President (George W) Bush.'' BEST CHANCE Europeans regard the deal, which ended weeks of fighting between Hamas and Fatah in which more than 90 people died, as the best chance to avoid a Palestinian civil war.

''Abbas wants to sell the national unity government to Blair as the only way to get out of the impasse, lift the sanctions imposed on the Palestinian people and reinvigorate the stalled peace process,'' the Palestinian envoy said.

West Asia mediators also meet today in Berlin to thrash out differences over how to deal with the new government.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants the Quartet, comprising the United Nations, Russia, the European Union and the United States, to play a bigger role in trying to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace moves, but she also wants to keep up pressure on Hamas.

''It's not a question of ignoring the mandate of Hamas,'' Blair said. ''How can we take the Middle East peace process forward with a government that says 'We don't even recognise the right of Israel to exist' -- that's the problem.'' The quartet has said it will withhold judgment on the unity coalition until its policies are known but urged any government to recognise Israel, renounce violence and abide by past Israeli-Palestinian agreements.

The Mecca deal contained a vague promise to ''respect'' previous agreements. Abbas is due to travel to Berlin later on Wednesday for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

REUTERS AB RN2140