UN chief urges end to Israeli ‘occupation’

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon attends the “Reform and Transition to Democracy” conference in the Lebanese capital yesterday

UN chief Ban Ki-moon yesterday called for an end to Israeli “occupation” in the Arab world, saying the illegal building of settlements worked against a two-state solution.
“The Israeli occupation of Arab and Palestinian territories must end. So must violence against civilians,” Ban said in a keynote address at a conference in Beirut on democracy in the Arab world.
“Settlements, new and old, are illegal. They work against the emergence of a viable Palestinian state,” said the UN secretary general.
“A two-state solution is long overdue. The status quo offers only the guarantee of future conflict.”
Ban, who arrived in Beirut on Friday, was speaking at a conference entitled “Reform and Transitions to Democracy” organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
The two-day conference brings together a slew of dignitaries from countries that suffered under dictatorships.
Among the speakers are Egyptian presidential hopeful and former Arab League chief Amr Mussa and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, whose country has emerged as a key regional player in the Middle East.

Gap still wide: Palestinians

Meanwhile, a Palestinian official close to exploratory talks in Jordan between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators yesterday said the wide gap remains after three rounds of talks.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in Ramallah, said a third meeting on Saturday under the auspices of Jordan and the peacemaking Quartet made clear the gulf between the two sides.
“The third meeting held in Amman in the presence of the Jordanian foreign minister didn’t produce anything new,” the official told AFP.
“There is still a wide gap between us on all positions because the Israeli side has not presented anything new and continues to hinder the resumption of negotiations,” he added.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat meet his Israeli counterpart Yitzhak Molcho on Saturday evening for a third round of discussions about the possibility of resuming negotiations that have been on hold since late September 2010.
The meetings have been organised under the auspices of Jordan and the international Quartet, comprising the United Nations, United States, European Union and Russia, which is trying to kickstart talks.
The Quartet has called on both sides to present comprehensive proposals on borders and security before January 26 with a view to resuming talks shortly afterwards, but so far only the Palestinians have done so.
Israel has called for direct talks to begin immediately and without preconditions, but the Palestinians say they will not talk without a settlement freeze and a clear framework for negotiations.