U.N. Secretary calls for peace in Ramallah

Palestine

Published: 2017-08-29 19:59

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 07:43


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) welcoming UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, August 28, 2017. (G
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) welcoming UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, August 28, 2017. (G

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he believe that it is absolutely essential to make serious progress in the peace process towards the two-state solution, condemning Israeli expansion of illegal settlements. 

Speaking after after today’s meeting Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Ramallah, Guterres emphasised “there is no plan B for the two-state solution.”

“We believe that settlement activity is illegal under international law. It’s an obstacle to the two-state solution,” he added.

This follows yesterday’s meeting with Israeli leaders, where the controversial issue of Israel's illegal settlement expansion was not addressed.

Speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu, Guterres warned that anti-Semitism remains “alive and well” and vowed to combat all forms of racism and bigotry.

“I understand the security concerns of Israel, and I repeat that the idea or the intention or the will to destroy the State of Israel is something totally unacceptable from my perspective,” he said.

This is Guterres’ first visit to Israel-Palestine since taking office at the beginning of this year, the Secretary-General met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, to encourage the resumption of peace talks.

Calling himself an impartial “honest broker” and a “messenger of peace,” Mr. Guterres noted that Members of the UN are sovereign countries with their own interests, values and convictions.

“To be an honest broker means that all countries must be treated equally both by the Secretary-General and the Secretariat that the Secretary-General directs. This is for me very clear and you can be sure that these values will be upheld,” he said.

Guterres is scheduled to spend the third day of his trip in the Gaza Strip, where he will visit UN facilities but won’t meet with its militant Hamas rulers. The group called his planned visit to the territory “unwelcome.”