Ban pushes Palestinians to calm spiralling unrest
AFP
AFP, RAMALLAH: UN chief Ban Ki-moon pleaded for an end to spiralling violence on Wednesday as he met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in a bid to calm three weeks of deadly unrest.
The UN secretary generals meeting with Abbas came after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, when he called on both sides to end a dangerous escalation threatening a full-scale uprising.
Ban, at least publicly, offered no concrete proposals to end the unrest, but spoke of returning to meaningful negotiations, after more than a year of frozen peace efforts and seething frustration with Israels occupation. We will continue to support all efforts to create the conditions to make meaningful negotiations possible, Ban told journalists after meeting Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
But ultimately it is for Palestinians and Israelis to choose peace. Our most urgent challenge is to stop the current wave of violence and avoid any further loss of life.
Ban said that the only way to end the violence is through real and visible progress toward a political solution, including an end of the occupation. I have stressed to both Israeli and Palestinian leaders the urgent need to reaffirm through words and deeds that they are partners for peace, he said.
Abbas called on Israel to strictly respect rules governing Jerusalems flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
Clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters at the compound in September preceded the current wave of violence. Netanyahu has repeatedly accused Abbas of inciting violence by suggesting that Israel wants to change the status of the compound.
Muslims fear Israel will seek to change rules governing the site, located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
