Ban condemns Synagogue attacks

NEW YORK, Nov 18 (KUNA) -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemns today's attack on a synagogue in West Jerusalem which claimed four lives and injured several persons.
Beyond today's reprehensible incident, clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces continue on a near daily basis in many parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, Ban's press office said in a statement.
The UN official also condemned all acts of violence against civilians.
Attacks against religious sites in Jerusalem and the West Bank point to an additional dangerous dimension to the conflict which reverberates far beyond the region, he said.
Ban called for political leadership and courage on both sides to take actions to address the very tense situation in Jerusalem.
All sides, he said, must avoid using provocative rhetoric which only encourages extremist elements.
In this regard, the UN chief welcomed President Abbas' condemnation of today's attack.
Furthermore, he stressed that the steadily worsening situation on the ground only reinforces the imperative for leaders on both sides to make the difficult decisions that will promote stability and ensure long-term security for both Israelis and Palestinians.
He then extended his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.(end) mao.sd