UN chief calls on Israel, Palestine to get back round the negotiating table

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called on both Israel and Palestine to be bold and resume the Middle East peace process, which has been stalled for many months.

Ban, who arrived earlier in the West Bank city of Ramallah, told a joint news conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah following their meeting that it's time for all parties to be on "the side of peace".

He said that the United Nations will continue to fully support all efforts that will achieve a two-state solution.

Ban condemned ongoing Israeli settlement activities, expressing deep concern that such practices "would lead to more tension in the region".

The situation between Israel and Palestine "has to be resolved as part of the general political margin that will end half a century of Israeli military occupation and lead to the two-state solution", Ban said.

Peace talks between Israel and Palestine stopped at the end of March after they went on for nine months under United States sponsorship. The talks failed to achieve any progress on major issues.

UK Parliament vote

Ban's visit came as British lawmakers were due to hold a non-binding vote on Monday on recognizing Palestine, although government ministers will not take part, in a sign of the political sensitivity of the issue.

The debate is being closely watched internationally after Sweden decided to recognize the State of Palestine.

The symbolic vote is on a motion put forward by Grahame Morris, an MP from the opposition Labour Party, and is likely to get the backing of most Labour members.

Within the two ruling coalition parties, some Conservatives and most Liberal Democrats are likely to vote in favor, despite the government's position.

British foreign policy toward Palestine will not change, even if lawmakers vote in favor of recognizing it as a state, Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman told reporters.

Britain does not class Palestine as a state, but says it could do so at any time if it believed it would help the long-running peace process between the Palestinians and Israel.

But Morris said, "If the vote is a success it would put a tremendous amount of pressure on the current government and the next government, which is likely to be a Labour government, to recognize Palestine as a state.

"The UK recognizing Palestine could give decisive momentum to more EU states following suit," he said.

The Palestinian Authority estimates at 134 the number of countries that have recognized the State of Palestine.

Xinhua - AFP - Reuters

(China Daily 10/14/2014 page11)