United Nations, March 25: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday he will urge Arab leaders this weekend to support indirect talks between the Palestinians and Israelis despite their anger over Israel’s approval of new homes for Jews in predominantly Arab east Jerusalem.
He told the Security Council it’s crucial for Arab countries to help create “a favorable atmosphere” for the indirect proximity talks to succeed.
Ban said Israel’s announcement on March 9 that it intends to build 1,600 new homes and Wednesday’s announcement that it will construct 20 new apartments for Jews in east Jerusalem have created “a crisis of confidence” as efforts continue to start the indirect talks.
He reiterated “that settlements are illegal under international law” and must stop.
“We must not let negotiations be disrupted by provocations,” Ban said. “No doubt there will be tests. The parties must take steps to meet obligations and build trust. Extremists and spoilers must see that the parties are determined to press ahead.”
The secretary-general stressed that the Quartet of Mideast peacemakers — the U.N., the U.S., the European Union and Russia — has urged that indirect talks move ahead and lead to direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations “as soon as possible” on a final settlement that will establish a Palestinian state beside Israel.
“The goal should be to resolve all final status issues within 24 months,” he said.
Ban said he will brief the Arab League summit in Sirte, Libya, on March 27-28 on last week’s Quartet meeting in Moscow and his subsequent visit to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
“I will urge them to support the proximity talks,” he said.
“I know that the Arab countries are frustrated, and they express their concerns and even reluctance in supporting these proximity talks,” Ban said, adding that he has spoken to many Arab leaders urging support.
“I’m grateful for their flexibility, even though they have given some conditional support,” he said. “This support should continue so that Israel and the Palestinians will continue their bilateral negotiations.”
At the same time, the secretary-general said Israel and the Palestinians must do “much more” to build trust and meet their international obligations.
“There have been too many negative facts on the ground,” Ban said. “We need more positive facts — a settlement freeze, a lifting of the blockade of Gaza, an end to rocket fire from Gaza, an easing of the constraints that stifle Palestinian life, prisoner exchanges, Palestinian unity, further security and economic progress by the Palestinian Authority.”
“The list is long and time is very short,” he stressed.
–Agencies