Ban urges Israel’s Netanyahu to act with wisdom and restraint on Palestinian UN bid

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today to act with responsibility, wisdom and restraint towards the Palestinians’ approach to the United Nations, where they have said they will seek full membership.

In a meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly’s 66th annual session, Mr. Ban reiterated his support for a Palestinian State, living side by side in peace with a secure Israel, reaffirming his belief that negotiations were the only path for a sustainable resolution of all final status issues.

He emphasized the need for historic decisions on both sides at this critical moment.

In a meeting on Monday, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, told Mr. Ban he intended to submit an application this Friday for Palestine to become a UN Member State.

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since late September 2010 following Israel’s refusal to extend a 10-month freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.

That decision prompted Mr. Abbas to withdraw from direct talks with Mr. Netanyahu, which had only resumed a few weeks earlier after a two-year hiatus.