Hi °C | Lo °C British Prime Minister Tony Blair has refused to be drawn on the leadership crisis during a trip to the Middle East.
Asked if he would endorse finance minister Gordon Brown as his successor, Blair said it would be disrespectful to talk about the issue while in Israel.
"I simply refer you to everything I've already said before on this ... I'm sure I will be able to speak about this again in the next few days," he told a news conference after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
He is holding talks designed to bring lasting peace to the region.
Olmert is full of praise for his work in recent months, calling Blair "one of the greatest world fighters against terrorism.
"I had many talks with Prime Minister Blair, in which he suggested and promoted and asked me to make every possible effort to advance negotiations between us and the Palestinians."
During a joint Saturday night press conference in Israel with Blair, Olmert signaled his readiness to talk with the Palestinian Authority Chairman, indicating such a meeting will take place in the near future.
