Ban Ki-moon criticises Israel for new settlement-building plans | World news | The Guardian:
The UN secretary general has strongly criticised Israeli settlement-building in a series of pointed remarks made in Jerusalem and Ramallah in which he challenged Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to show leadership and make compromises for peace.
Ban Ki-moon – who is on a two-day visit to the region – also called for an end to provocations at Jerusalem’s holy sites which, have caused clashes in recent days.
Citing Israel’s recent announcement on new settlement construction plans for east Jerusalem, Ban condemned the plans as a “clear violation of international law”.
The relationship between Ban and Netanyahu has reportedly been difficult of late, with accounts of a terse exchange during a recent encounter in New York.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, and the Israeli president, Reuven Rivlin. Photograph: Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images
