Tony Blair stayed at a Bethlehem hotel in a drive to boost tourism to the Palestinian Authority.
Blair, who became envoy to the Quartet of Israeli-Palestinian peace mediators after stepping down as British prime minister earlier this year, spent Tuesday night at a luxury Bethlehem hotel, telling reporters that his message was: “It’s a safe and good place to come and visit.”
Christians revere the West Bank town as the place of Jesus’ birth, but it has suffered a significant drop in yuletide tourism in recent years. Blair has argued that boosting the economy of Bethlehem and other Palestinian Authority areas is a key to reviving peace talks.
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