Ban Ki-Moon, U.N. Secretary General, Urges Israel To Halt West Bank Settlements Construction

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israel must halt settlement building and present detailed proposals for a border with a future Palestinian state, visiting U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday, as he tried to persuade the Palestinians to continue low-level meetings with Israel that the international community hopes will evolve into serious negotiations.

Ban praised Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for his leadership and publicly backed him on key issues, including the demand for a freeze of settlement building on occupied lands the Palestinians want for their state.

With Abbas by his side, the U.N. chief affirmed that "all Israeli settlements are contrary to international law and prejudice" the outcome of a final peace deal.

At the same time, Ban urged the Palestinian leader not to let the current peace efforts lose momentum. The dialogue on borders and security arrangements began last month at the urging of the Quartet of Mideast mediators – the U.S., U.N., EU and Russia – which asked both sides to submit detailed proposals. The Quartet has said it wants a final deal by the end of the year.

Abbas has said the Jordanian-mediated exploratory meetings in Amman have run their course, but that he'll decide after consultations with the Arab League next week whether to resume them. "I don't like the word `closing the door to negotiations.'" Abbas said Wednesday. "Israel did not present encouraging offers in the Amman talks, but if it does, we will be ready (to resume talks)."

Earlier Wednesday, Ban met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has rejected Palestinian demands for a settlement freeze ahead of any full-fledged negotiations, arguing that this is an unacceptable precondition.

Israel has said it wants to continue the exploratory talks.

"We are at a critical moment for Israel and the region," Ban said after his talks with Netanyahu. "I remain hopeful that the direct, frequent exchanges between the parties with continue."

Formal peace talks have stalled for more than three years, in large part over the settlement issue. The Palestinians say there is no point in negotiating as long as Israel continues to settle its population in the West Bank and east Jerusalem – areas that the Palestinians want for their future state, along with the Gaza Strip.

Some 500,000 Israelis now live in these areas, and this week Netanyahu's government approved new financial incentives meant to lure more Israelis to the West Bank.

Continued settlement "does not help the ongoing peace process," Ban said. "They should refrain from further settlement for the sake of ongoing peace talks. This can be a way of expressing goodwill gestures."

Netanyahu appeared to rebuff Ban's request, saying the question of settlements "should be part of the final peace talks and final peace agreements." Later Wednesday, Netanyahu spoke by phone to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. "Israel is interested in continuing talks with the Palestinians while maintaining security for Israel's citizens," Netanyahu told Clinton, according to his office.

Palestinian militants in Gaza fired six mortar shells into southern Israel Wednesday evening, Israeli police said. They exploded in open field without causing casualties.

On Thursday morning the U.N. chief is set to visit Gaza, as well as Sderot, an Israeli border town that is a frequent target of Palestinian rockets.

Ban on Wednesday appeared to take the Israelis to task for not having submitted detailed proposals on borders and security yet, as requested by the Quartet. The Palestinians say they have presented four-page papers on each issue, while Israel presented only general principles for border talks last week

Ban said he noted "with appreciation that the Palestinian Authority is forthcoming in presenting concrete proposals for territory and security, as called for by the Quartet," adding that he hopes "that now Israel will present its proposals."

Palestinian officials have said the Israeli principles mean, in effect, that Israel wants to keep east Jerusalem and large chunks of the West Bank. Any proposal that leaves all of east Jerusalem under Israeli control is likely to be rejected by any Palestinian leader.

Responding to Ban's comments, Netanyahu said he recognizes "there has to be an agreement, probably a painful agreement for us given our passion for these historic lands." But he complained that "the real cause of this conflict" is the Palestinians refusal to recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.

Israel has also accused the state-run Palestinian media of broadcasting hatred and incitement against Israel and Jews. Asked about the alleged incitement, Ban said: "Hate speeches or provocations, they are not helpful, they are not acceptable."

Also Wednesday, two Palestinian journalists said they were detained for several hours and questioned by Palestinian security forces, one after mocking the Palestinian leadership and the other after reporting about alleged corruption at a Palestinian diplomatic mission.

A Palestinian government spokesman confirmed one case but did not comment on the other.

___

Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Dalia Nammari and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank contributed reporting.

___

Federman can be followed at http://www.twitter.com/joseffederman

Comments

[GeneralTurgidson]

06:11 PM on 02/06/2012

UN: please quickly declare Palestine a state, and then send peacekeeping troops to Palestine, that is the only way to get Israel to stop dragging its feet.

[Haroldpom]

07:47 AM on 02/07/2012

Iran, Syria and Lebanon (Hezbollah) will volunteer peacekeeping troops for the free Palestine.

[SquareEyes]

04:45 AM on 03/14/2012

What's stopping them from doing it now?

[Cynthia Rays]

08:00 PM on 02/03/2012

Israel continues to take more and more land. Paying costs of their own eviction is an extra.
"Israel tells Palestinian farmers it plans to seize their land
BETHLEHEM (WAFA) 1 Feb – The Israeli military authorities informed Palestinian farmers from Nahalin, a village west of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, that it plans to expropriate more than 430 dunums of their land and gave them 45 days to file an objection, Osama Shakarneh, head of the Nahalin village council, said Wednesday. He said the farmers found notices on their land put there by the Israeli authorities informing them that they should leave their land and remove everything on it because the land will soon be expropriated. The notices, he said, gave the farmers 45 days to file a complaint at Ofer military camp, near Ramallah, or else the army would evict them and force them to pay costs of their eviction."
link to english.wafa.ps

[Haroldpom]

03:59 PM on 02/03/2012

There are two reasons that the peace process has failed.

One is because the Palestinian Arab leadership has made a conscious decision that peace is less important than their pride, and they are unwilling to compromise over what they believe are their "rights" - and the UN is partially to blame, by giving them false hope for decades based on its one-sided resolutions supporting them again and again even when they were responsible for the most heinous crimes.

The other is because of a small thing called the Second Intifada, that was organized and led by Israel's so-called "peace partners." Moon is suggesting that they be rewarded for their reign of terror only a few years ago, and that they should gain more concessions than beforehand from the victims of that terror. The UN is not supposed to reward aggression, but this is what Moon is doing in this speech.

[mommamia526]

11:25 AM on 02/04/2012

There are additional issues. First, Iran is aiding, abetting and training terrorists. There is now a video out of a speech this week by the Ayatolla, in which he clearly states that Iran is doing so, giving aid, providing weapons and training Hezbullah and Hamas, with the objective to wipe Israel off the map. An United Threesome. If Palestinians can not Unite to form a government, they are, together with Iran, united on that one issue. We have now had during the last two months the speeches of Haniyeh and his forays into Tunesia to form a PanArabic Army to wipe out Israel. We have heard Ashrawis call for a third Intifada, we have the Ayatolla's speech, again, and we certainly have heard more than enough from Abbas. We have also seen their walking out of PEACE Negotiations. They do not want PEACE. Never have, and never will. That is not a new idea, or fact. The Palestinians have lied, played games, terrorized, and never deviated one moment from their objective. That they can get the world to play into that, with donations, fighting their fights, and playing martyrs, the better for them. IF the world wants to be a fooled patsy, the Palestinians will let them be just that. The UN, and Ban ki-Moon are also being played by Palestinians.

[mommamia526]

11:36 AM on 02/04/2012

If Palestinians wanted to better their situation, and IF their objective were to have their own State, they would UNITE and form a Government. They are not going to do that, because it would put an end to their game of *winner takes all, and we will do what it takes, to take all*. When Abbas went to the UN in September, Hamas ended the attempt (which was pro forma in any case), to form an Unity Government. The reason was that a separate Palestinian State would END THE OBJECTIVE OF WIPING iSRAEL OFF THE MAP. It was published on the internet. I got it from there. Forming an United Government and having elections is, as I have predicted for several months now, AGAIN off the table. Many Palestinians may well want PEACE and improvement of their personal situation. The *leadership* under *auspices of Iran* has other ideas. They keep the population out of having a vote/voice. Elections will only take place as carefully orchestrated events to solidify the *leadership*, as in Iran. They will not risk a Palestinian vote. Settlements are a non-issue, as that would have been (no longer, I presume from what I read) up for negotiation. With the ME *monkeys* out of the box, i.e. objectives and strategies, there is no need to make concessions for Israel. In fact, it would be desparately dumb. The Iran threesome has made a choice. They are out in the open.

[Yarden]

01:31 PM on 02/03/2012

So in conclusion of Moon's speech, The Israeli's are a fault and the Palestinians have been honest through out the years in which the anti semitic psyche of the Palestinian leadership is just cheap shot propaganda. I guess we can also conclude that the primate candidate is also not affiliated with a terrorist organization and strongly condemns any violent actions against Israel, even when they are so helpless and begging for mercy. The UN has a different standard towards the Palestinians than the Israeli's, Considering nothing is ever binding to them.

Ignorance is ignorance.

[iwantthetruth27]

08:19 AM on 02/03/2012

"Ban praised Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for his leadership..."

Right... Abbas' leadership is top notch. He can't stop the extremists in Gaza from firing rockets into Israel, but his leadership is praised by Ban. An inept organization praising an inept organization

[SquareEyes]

04:48 AM on 03/14/2012

He has stopped attacks on Israel from the West Bank, which is where he has control. The net step is Palestinian unity - in fact it is something which should have happened five years ago.

[Nwo2012]

03:59 PM on 02/02/2012

So many Jewish supremacis­ts and Zionist racists on this thread. Where did Zionism go wrong.

[With Your Consent]

10:31 PM on 02/02/2012

day 1

[Rosin the Bow]

09:03 AM on 02/03/2012

You can keep projecting your prejudices onto others, but it won't change what you are.

[Seawolf56]

01:13 PM on 02/03/2012

Yep Anti ZIONISTS!! Me too!

[Nwo2012]

01:41 PM on 02/03/2012

Ugh Creepy

[Nwo2012]

02:23 PM on 02/02/2012

Shoo!

[Ibn Rushd]

03:11 PM on 02/02/2012

Zionists went wrong when they decided to forcibly implement their project for a Jewish state in a land where the overwhelming majority of its indigenous residents were not Jewish (and had not been for the past 2000 years).

As stated by Ben Ehrenreich­­­­:

“The problem is fundamenta­­­­l: Founding a modern state on a single ethnic or religious identity in a territory that is ethnically and religiousl­­­­y diverse leads inexorably either to politics of exclusion (think of the 139-square­­­­-mile prison camp that Gaza has become) or to wholesale ethnic cleansing. Put simply, the problem is Zionism.”

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/03/16-2

To overcome this demographic reality, the concept of ethnic cleansing (euphemistically called "populatio­­­­­­n transfer") came to be embraced by nearly all shades of opinion in the Zionist movement, from the Revisionis­­­­­­t Right to the Labor Left, including the "moderate" Moshe Sharett and the socialist Arthur Ruppin.

http://www.palestineremembered.com/Acre/Famous-Zionist-Quotes/Story637.html

I am not unsympatheti­­­­­c to Jews that were fleeing persecutio­­­­­n. But this whole mess all really comes down to this:

“We took the land without your consent because we had no other choice, we were facing exterminat­­­­­­ion in Europe.”

Okay, I get it.

But I insist that Zionists be intellectu­­­­­­ally honest enough to start with “we took the land without your consent,” rather than repeat Zionist myths about how grateful Palestinia­­­­­­ns should have been with partition, or how their resistance was why the land was taken.

[Seawolf56]

10:14 AM on 02/02/2012

1.Resoluti­on 106: "...‘conde­mns’ Israel for Gaza raid"
2.Resoluti­on 111: "...‘conde­mns’ Israel for raid on Syria that killed fifty-six people"
3.Resoluti­on 127: "...‘recom­mends’ Israel suspend its ‘no-man’s zone’ in Jerusalem"
4.Resoluti­on 162: "...‘urges­’ Israel to comply with UN decisions"
5.Resoluti­on 171: "...determ­ines flagrant violations­’ by Israel in its attack on Syria"
6.Resoluti­on 228: "...‘censu­res’ Israel for its attack on Samu in the West Bank, then under Jordanian control"
7.Resoluti­on 237: "...‘urges­’ Israel to allow return of new 1967 Palestinia­n refugees"
8.Resoluti­on 248: "...‘conde­mns’ Israel for its massive attack on Karameh in Jordan"
9.Resoluti­on 250: "...‘calls­’ on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem"
10.Resolut­ion 251: "...‘deepl­y deplores’ Israeli military parade in Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250"
11.Resolut­ion 252: "...‘decla­res invalid’ Israel’s acts to unify Jerusalem as Jewish capital"
12.Resolut­ion 256: "...‘conde­mns’ Israeli raids on Jordan as ‘flagrant violation"
13.Resolut­ion 259: "...‘deplo­res’ Israel’s refusal to accept UN mission to probe occupation­"
14.Resolut­ion 262: "...‘conde­mns’ Israel for attack on Beirut airport"
15.Resolut­ion 265: "...‘conde­mns’ Israel for air attacks for Salt in Jordan"
16.Resolut­ion 267: "...‘censu­res’ Israel for administra­tive acts to change the status of Jerusalem"
17.Resolut­ion 270: "...‘conde­mns’ Israel for air attacks on villages in southern Lebanon"
18.Resolut­ion 271: "...‘conde­mns’ Israel’s failure to obey UN resolution­s on Jerusalem"
19.Resolut­ion 279: "...‘deman­ds’ withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon"
20.Resolut­ion 280: "....‘cond­emns’ Israeli’s attacks against Lebanon"
21.Resolut­ion 285: "...‘deman­ds’ immediate Israeli withdrawal form Lebanon"”

[BcemXAHA]

03:39 PM on 02/02/2012

Congratulations girly, you can copy and paste. You're moving in the world hottie!

[Aussieposter]

05:16 PM on 02/02/2012

All that you seem to have is sarcastic one liners that contribute nothing to the debate, they are either personal attacks designed to deride the commentator not the comment or outrageous untruths.

All these resolutions have been passed by a body who's authority Zionism defends in resolution 181 yet deny when the demands no longer suits its purpose. While I am sure the attempt is to be pithy, the final outcome is more in the lines of pathetic.

[Calamity Jack]

05:22 PM on 02/02/2012

Why are you so mysoginistic today? Calling someone 'girly' is only an insult if you believe femininity is somehow inferior to masculinity -- and I find it sad that you apparently feel that way.

[Json]

03:42 PM on 02/02/2012

You should tell that to the Palestinians. They are so angry that the UN isn't supportive enough of them, they are throwing things at Ban Ki-Moon!

[Anybodyseenthepopos]

12:07 AM on 02/02/2012

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem at a Fatah rally call once again for the death of all Jews, near and far. But settlements are the big issue? Everybody needs to get a clue. The Palestinians are interested in a State. From the Sea to the River and everything in between. Otherwise they can buck up and recognize the right of the JEWISH STATE OF ISRAEL TO EXIST.
Anything else is BS.

[Sonic hedgehog]

02:08 AM on 02/02/2012

If Israeli government thought that the Mufti's call was a big issue, why do they not stop the negotiation process?

[Anybodyseenthepopos]

07:49 AM on 02/02/2012

Because calls for all Jews to die is normal in that part of the world, and we're used to it. Because we remember hearing it before the was any "occupation" as well as after. Because we heard it pre 1947 and have come to expect it. Because people have give up any hope, after thousands of years that people who make these calls for death will ever change. Because we know their society is poisoned by hatred for which there is no cure?
Stop me when you think I'm getting close...

[Gui Montag]

09:06 AM on 02/02/2012

Because they knew that pundits like yourself would say "that's not a good enough reason! Waah! This proves Israel doesn't want peace! Waah!"

[Annoula]

10:25 AM on 02/02/2012

Have you heard some of the incendiary calls that Avi Lieberman has made against Palestinians?
And, mind you, he is a member of Bibi's cabinet, not just a religious leader!

[Anybodyseenthepopos]

02:45 PM on 02/02/2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeGYAfh9A1k

[BcemXAHA]

03:42 PM on 02/02/2012

Not one time has he called for the death of palestinians. But hey, look, something shiny over there!

[tallen]

10:08 PM on 02/01/2012

Hilarious. Typical UN buffoonery.

The middle arab middle east is imploding. North Africa is becoming jihadist heaven. Pakistan is devolving into a quasi Islamist anarchy, Afghanistan is a lost cause and Iraq is gripped by sunni-shia internecine terrorism.

But we have have the obligatory; "Israel must". And of course there is no mention of anything the palestinians "must" do, such as cease state backed calls for genocide.

[Nwo2012]

11:41 PM on 02/01/2012

"state backed calls for genocide."

Have you just unilaterally recognized Palestine?

Wow. And the sky didnt fall in. How easy was that?

[Seawolf56]

09:02 PM on 02/01/2012

53.Resolution 587: "...‘takes note’ of previous calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and urges all parties to withdraw"
54.Resolution 592: "...‘strongly deplores’ the killing of Palestinian students at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops"
55.Resolution 605: "...‘strongly deplores’ Israel’s policies and practices denying the human rights of Palestinians
56.Resolution 607: "...‘calls’ on Israel not to deport Palestinians and strongly requests it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention
57.Resolution 608: "...‘deeply regrets’ that Israel has defied the United Nations and deported Palestinian civilians"
58.Resolution 636: "...‘deeply regrets’ Israeli deportation of Palestinian civilians
59.Resolution 641: "...‘deplores’ Israel’s continuing deportation of Palestinians
60.Resolution 672: "...‘condemns’ Israel for violence against Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount
61.Resolution 673: "...‘deplores’ Israel’s refusal to cooperate with the United Nations
62.Resolution 681: "...‘deplores’ Israel’s resumption of the deportation of Palestinians
63.Resolution 694: "...‘deplores’ Israel’s deportation of Palestinians and calls on it to ensure their safe and immediate return
64.Resolution 726: "...‘strongly condemns’ Israel’s deportation of Palestinians
65.Resolution 799: "...‘strongly condemns’ Israel’s deportation of 413 Palestinians and calls for their immediate return.

[erehwon2]

10:05 PM on 02/01/2012

I see you're documenting the UN's bizarre monomania with Israel.

So tell us, while the UNGA spent their time in the 2006-2007 drafting and passing 22 resolutions condemning Israel while completely ignoring the genocide in Darfur, you think a list of their ludicrously hypocritical condemnations of Israel should carry any weight?

[BcemXAHA]

03:43 PM on 02/02/2012

shhh don't spoil it for her, she just learned how to copy and paste :)

[tallen]

10:17 PM on 02/01/2012

All you are showing is why the UN is fairly well regarded as a tool for the arab league and other third world nations as well as the incredible amount of time the UN chose to spend on this while other issues...such as the arab genocide in Darfur...Rwanda...the Chinese occupation of Tibet...the Russian occupation of Afghanistan..the Syrian slaughter in Hama...the Turkish slaughter of Kurds...the Turkish occupation of Cyprus...and myriad other things in the world went by while barely noticed by the UN.

[Seawolf56]

10:03 AM on 02/02/2012

and all you are showing is that you are an Israelie...

[Aussieposter]

06:09 PM on 02/02/2012

Funny how when the U.N. Passed Resolution 181 you applauded it as fair and reasonable now when it makes a choice you don't like you condemn it as unfair.

Especially since for these resolution to be passed they must have survived a U.S. Veto

[Gui Montag]

09:56 PM on 02/01/2012

Spam spam spam.

[Seawolf56]

10:24 PM on 02/01/2012

Thats ok, it isn't for you it's for all the Americans that read this board to see what else the UN has said to Israel.

[Anybodyseenthepopos]

11:42 PM on 02/01/2012

Anything you'd like to share Seawolf? Or are you going to spam us all day with nonbinding resolution made by an international body that has evidently been preoccupied with the "evils" of the only democracy in the Middle East? A body that has 56 Arab/Muslim members to it's ONE Jewish counterpart.

[Nwo2012]

11:20 AM on 02/02/2012

There ya go. Thats more like it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Nwo2012/ban-ki-moon-israel-settlements_n_1246701_132373296.html

[MelissaGoldman]

07:43 PM on 02/01/2012

Let us know when he urges pals to stop their terror.
Until then, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......................................

[Nwo2012]

08:13 PM on 02/01/2012

Obeying international law isnt quid pro quo and its not a negotiating option for israel so they can avoid the responsibilities of their international commitments..

[Gui Montag]

08:39 PM on 02/01/2012

Obeying internatio­nal law isnt quid pro quo and its not a negotiatin­g option for the palestinians so they can avoid the responsibi­lities of their internatio­nal commitment­s..

[mommamia526]

06:44 PM on 02/01/2012

Ban Ki Moon is *not convinced* that Iran is pursuing nuclear energy for peacefule purposes. Ban Ki Moon had a discussion with Mr. Netanyahu. Both urge Palestinians to continue the Peace Process.

Recognition of Israel as The Jewish State is sothat Palestinians get off their insistence that all of Israel, from the River to the Sea, belongs to them. There must be TWO (2) States living side by side in Peace. Acceptance of The Jewish State - which Abbas and Hamas have declared they will NEVER do - is a NECESSARY Step. It has nothing to do with Israel's *Self-Image*. It has Everything to do with the Palestinians' Imaginations to not accept this, that they will continue endless war till death.

[Nwo2012]

07:38 PM on 02/01/2012

Recognizing israel is sufficient. If israel wants to declare itself a Jewish state its a matter for israelis. Its their self-image.

They can declare themselves a nation of scientologists or atheists for all the world cares. They can award citizenship by hair color or height and declare themselves a nation of tall people. Its no business of Palestinians nor anyone else.

Its no concern of anybody but israelis.

[Gui Montag]

08:21 PM on 02/01/2012

It's the business of Palestinians if they intend to invade Israel with "refugees" in order to turn it into "Israel, the 25th Arab state." Recognizing Israel as a Jewish state would mean they no longer intend to do that.

[Rosin the Bow]

08:39 PM on 02/01/2012

If Palestinians want something from Israel, like the end to the occupation, they have to give up something in return.

[SquareEyes]

04:55 AM on 03/14/2012

The programme of the current Palestinian government refers to Palestine as the West Bank + Gaza + East Jerusalem as the capital. No mention of Jaffa.