UN chief urges Israel to freeze settlements despite failure to reach deal with U.S. |
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By: Natasha Mozgovaya and Shlomo Shamir, Ha'aretz 09.12.2010 UN hopeful that U.S. can still facilitate Israeli-Palestinian talks; top U.S. official: Obama administration does not and will not condone settlements. The UN Secretary-General publicly chastised the government of Israel on Wednesday for refusing to extend its ten-month moratorium on construction in the settlements of the West Bank that expired in September, calling it a snub to the international community.
A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to renew its freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, framing it as an obligation that Israel is avoiding. "The Secretary-General takes note with regret that Israel will not heed the united call of the international community, as reflected by the Quartet, to extend the settlement restraint policy," the spokesperson said.
"[Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon] reiterates his urging Israel to fulfill its road map obligation to freeze all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem," the spokesperson added.
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