Ban tells Israelis, Palestinians ‘stand firm against violence’

Second day of clashes at Jerusalem holy site

AFP, Jerusalem: UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged Israelis and Palestinians not to allow extremists on either side to fan violence, as he arrived as part of a Middle East tour.
“Do not allow the extremism on either side to fuel the... conflict,” he said in remarks at Tel Aviv University.“Palestinians and Israelis leaders must stand firm against violence, terror and incitement.”
Ban continued the theme at a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem.“Stabbings, bombings and shootings will not achieve anything because violence is never a solution,” he said.
The United Nations Secretary General is to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, as part of a packed schedule in which he will also visit the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, occupied by Israel since the 1976 Six Day War.
“Nearly 50 years of occupation has had a devastating impact on Palestinian lives undermining the belief in a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” Ban said in Jerusalem. “It also has not brought security to the Israelis.
“I firmly believe that a negotiated two-state solution remains the only viable option to prevent a perpetual conflict,” he added.
Netanyahu was originally expected to meet Ban on Monday but he was in Rome for talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry on stalled peace efforts with the Palestinians.
That meeting came ahead of a report by the Quartet—the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia—on the peace process.
The review by the diplomatic contact group is expected to be critical of Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank.
“I encourage Israeli and Palestinian leaders to engage with the Quartet on its recommendations and on creating the conditions for the resumption of meaningful negotiations,” Ban said.
He kicked off his Middle East tour in Kuwait on Sunday.
On Tuesday he goes to Gaza to inspect a UN-run girls primary school, then on to Ramallah in the West Bank for talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and prime minister Rami Hamdallah.
Meanwhile, Palestinians and Israeli police clashed at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound for a second day straight on Monday, with Islamic officials accusing Israeli authorities of breaking a tacit agreement on access during Ramadan.
Young Palestinians threw stones at Israeli police who deployed at the site, while security forces fired tear gas and sponge-tipped bullets, AFP journalists reported.
Calm later returned to the site, considered sacred to both Jews and Muslims and where clashes regularly occur. A number of injuries were reported by Palestinian media, though the Red Crescent had not provided any figures.
Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said police intervened to allow visits to the site to continue without further incident after “having obtained information on masked youths” taking up positions in the mosque overnight and blocking its doors.
Islamic officials say Israeli authorities are allowing non-Muslim visitors into the compound in breach of a tradition which allows only worshippers to enter during the last 10 days of Ramadan.
The 10 days, which began on Sunday, are the most solemn for Muslims and the period attracts the highest number of worshippers to the site.

 

Ban tells Israelis, Palestinians stand firm against violence

Second day of clashes at Jerusalem holy site

AFP, Jerusalem: UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged Israelis and Palestinians not to allow extremists on either side to fan violence, as he arrived as part of a Middle East tour. Do not allow the extremism on either side to fuel the... conflict, he said in remarks at Tel Aviv University.Palestinians and Israelis leaders must stand firm against violence, terror and incitement. Ban continued the theme at a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem.Stabbings, bombings and shootings will not achieve anything because violence is never a solution, he said. The United Nations Secretary General is to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, as part of a packed schedule in which he will also visit the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, occupied by Israel since the 1976 Six Day War. Nearly 50 years of occupation has had a devastating impact on Palestinian lives undermining the belief in a peaceful resolution to the conflict, Ban said in Jerusalem. It also has not brought security to the Israelis. I firmly believe that a negotiated two-state solution remains the only viable option to prevent a perpetual conflict, he added. Netanyahu was originally expected to meet Ban on Monday but he was in Rome for talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry on stalled peace efforts with the Palestinians. That meeting came ahead of a report by the Quartetthe United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russiaon the peace process. The review by the diplomatic contact group is expected to be critical of Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank. I encourage Israeli and Palestinian leaders to engage with the Quartet on its recommendations and on creating the conditions for the resumption of meaningful negotiations, Ban said. He kicked off his Middle East tour in Kuwait on Sunday. On Tuesday he goes to Gaza to inspect a UN-run girls primary school, then on to Ramallah in the West Bank for talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and prime minister Rami Hamdallah. Meanwhile, Palestinians and Israeli police clashed at Jerusalems Al-Aqsa mosque compound for a second day straight on Monday, with Islamic officials accusing Israeli authorities of breaking a tacit agreement on access during Ramadan. Young Palestinians threw stones at Israeli police who deployed at the site, while security forces fired tear gas and sponge-tipped bullets, AFP journalists reported. Calm later returned to the site, considered sacred to both Jews and Muslims and where clashes regularly occur. A number of injuries were reported by Palestinian media, though the Red Crescent had not provided any figures. Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said police intervened to allow visits to the site to continue without further incident after having obtained information on masked youths taking up positions in the mosque overnight and blocking its doors. Islamic officials say Israeli authorities are allowing non-Muslim visitors into the compound in breach of a tradition which allows only worshippers to enter during the last 10 days of Ramadan. The 10 days, which began on Sunday, are the most solemn for Muslims and the period attracts the highest number of worshippers to the site.