LOC18:04
15:04 GMT
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 25 (KUNA) -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday
warned that the opportunity for a two-state solution for the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict may be lost for good.
"The two-state solution is the only sustainable option. Yet the door may be
closing, for good," Ban told the yearly general debate of the General
Assembly's 67th session, attended by some 130 Heads of State and government.
In a recent report to the Security Council, Ban said the two-state solution
is increasingly making room to the "one-state reality."
"After decades of harsh occupation and humiliating restrictions in almost
every aspect of their lives, the Palestinians must be able to realize their
right to a viable state of their own," Ban told the Assembly.
He warned that the continued growth of Israeli settlements in the occupied
Palestinian territory "seriously undermines efforts toward peace. We must
break this dangerous impasse."
At the same time, he added, Israel "must be able to live in peace and
security, free from threats and rockets" from the Gaza Strip.
On the Israeli-Iranian rhetoric, Ban said "I reject both the language of
delegitimization and threat of potential military action by one state against
another."
He stressed that "any such attacks would be devastating. The shrill war
talk of recent weeks has been alarming - and should remind us of the need for
peaceful solutions and full respect for the UN Charter and international law."
Leaders, he suggested, have the "responsibility to use their voices to
lower tensions instead of raising the temperature and volatility of the moment.
"
Iran continuous to say Israel has no legitimacy in the region and Israel
continues to threaten Iran with a military strike to destroy its suspected
nuclear programme.
On establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons, Ban said he is
looking forward to a successful conference on the subject later this year, and
Iran "must prove the solely peaceful intent of its programme."
On the latest wave of violence that erupted after the posting of the
anti-Islam video, Ban said the "moderate majority should not be a silent
majority. It must empower itself, and say to bigots and extremists alike: 'you
do not speak for us'."
He sounded the alarm about "our direction as a human family."
"I see governments wasting vast and precious funds on deadly weapons -
while reducing investments in people," he noted with disappointment.
"People want jobs and the prospect of a decent life...Your people want to
see results in real time, now, not the distant future," he stressed. (end)
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KUNA 251804 Sep 12NNNN