Yousef Alhelou: U.N. Secretary-General's Visit to Palestine
Ban Ki-moon: Israel must apply U.N. resolutions and abide by World Court decision regarding Wall
A meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took place in Ramallah on Sunday.
Ban Ki-moon visited Ayda refugee camp before going to Ramallah to meet with the Palestinian Authority chairman.
In Bethlehem, Ban Ki-moon was welcomed by the governor of the city, Salah Tamari, as the personal representative of the Palestinian president. Tamari explained to Ban the political, economic and social suffering of the Palestinians in the territories as a result of the building of the apartheid wall and the policies of the occupation.
Ban also visited a United Nations Relief and Works Agency school in Ayda refugee camp where he heard accounts of the affect of the wall on Palestinian life.
Ban Ki-moon also toured the area where the wall is being erected and besieging the school from the eastern side.
The U.N. Secretary-General expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and pointed out the difficulties the Palestinians are facing because of the construction of the wall. He confirmed that he will do his best to implement the U.N. resolutions which apply to the Palestinian issue. He also stated the necessity to reach a settlement which will return peace and security to the region.
Mr. Ban said that peace should be achieved through the vision of the international community; the establishment of two states living side by side.
He described the life of the Palestinians as tragic, especially after what he witnessed in the refugee camp and how the Palestinians live near the wall which prevents them from receiving basic human rights such as education and health.
Ban Ki-moon stressed the necessity that Israel apply UN Security Council resolutions and the Hague court decision with regard to the wall
Ban Ki-moon scraps Haniyeh visit from Middle East tour
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has withdrawn his visit to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from his tour in the Middle East.
In a press conference with the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, the Secretary-General called on the Palestinian government to be committed to agreements. He added that he will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other members of the Palestinian government but his schedule will not include Haniyeh.
Ban clarified that he and Mubarak agreed on the necessity of the international community's support for peace efforts in the region.
He also expressed his hope that the new government will be committed to previous agreements, the demands of the international community and peace in the region.
Yousef Alhelou
Yousef Alhelou is a freelance Palestinian journalist based in Gaza. He can be contacted on ydamadan@hotmail.com
Please also see:
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF A WALL
IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/idocket/imwp/imwpframe.htm
Ban Ki-moon arrives in Riyadh on eve of Arab League Summit
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=22033&Cr=middle&Cr1=east
Ban Ki-moon: Israel must apply U.N. resolutions and abide by World Court decision regarding Wall
A meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took place in Ramallah on Sunday.
Ban Ki-moon visited Ayda refugee camp before going to Ramallah to meet with the Palestinian Authority chairman.
In Bethlehem, Ban Ki-moon was welcomed by the governor of the city, Salah Tamari, as the personal representative of the Palestinian president. Tamari explained to Ban the political, economic and social suffering of the Palestinians in the territories as a result of the building of the apartheid wall and the policies of the occupation.
Ban also visited a United Nations Relief and Works Agency school in Ayda refugee camp where he heard accounts of the affect of the wall on Palestinian life.
Ban Ki-moon also toured the area where the wall is being erected and besieging the school from the eastern side.
The U.N. Secretary-General expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and pointed out the difficulties the Palestinians are facing because of the construction of the wall. He confirmed that he will do his best to implement the U.N. resolutions which apply to the Palestinian issue. He also stated the necessity to reach a settlement which will return peace and security to the region.
Mr. Ban said that peace should be achieved through the vision of the international community; the establishment of two states living side by side.
He described the life of the Palestinians as tragic, especially after what he witnessed in the refugee camp and how the Palestinians live near the wall which prevents them from receiving basic human rights such as education and health.
Ban Ki-moon stressed the necessity that Israel apply UN Security Council resolutions and the Hague court decision with regard to the wall
Ban Ki-moon scraps Haniyeh visit from Middle East tour
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has withdrawn his visit to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from his tour in the Middle East.
In a press conference with the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, the Secretary-General called on the Palestinian government to be committed to agreements. He added that he will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other members of the Palestinian government but his schedule will not include Haniyeh.
Ban clarified that he and Mubarak agreed on the necessity of the international community's support for peace efforts in the region.
He also expressed his hope that the new government will be committed to previous agreements, the demands of the international community and peace in the region.
Yousef Alhelou
Yousef Alhelou is a freelance Palestinian journalist based in Gaza. He can be contacted on ydamadan@hotmail.com
Please also see:
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF A WALL
IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/idocket/imwp/imwpframe.htm
Ban Ki-moon arrives in Riyadh on eve of Arab League Summit
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=22033&Cr=middle&Cr1=east