Israel radio is reporting that British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned Yasser Arafat by phone on Tuesday that the international community would halt its efforts to bring the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to an end if Abu Mazen isn’t confirmed as prime minister. Arafat and Abu Mazen have been unable to reach an agreement on the makeup of the new Palestinian Cabinet and have not spoken since Sunday. Haaretz reports that Abu Mazen has prepared a letter of resignation but has not yet delivered it to Arafat.

Meanwhile, the L.A. Times reports that neoconservatives, led by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, have launched a campaign to undermine the U.S.-backed roadmap to peace and criticize the State Department. Speaking before the American Enterprise Institute, Gingrich urged the president to “take on transforming the State Department as its next urgent mission.”