International donors pledge aid toward creating Palestinian state

Donors began committing funds from around the world Monday for the moribund Palestinian economy amid a renewed international push for a Palestinian state.

Mideast envoy Tony Blair called it not just a donors' conference but also a "state-building conference." The meeting's host, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, called it a turning point in Mideast peace efforts after Israeli-Palestinian negotiations resumed last week after seven stalled years.

"What we must do now is work together before the end of 2008 for the creation of an independent, democratic, viable Palestinian state," Sarkozy said in a speech to representatives from nearly 90 …