LOC21:47
18:47 GMT
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 17 (KUNA) -- After hesitation and mumbling, UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said that Israeli Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni's statement last week that Israel would expel Israeli citizens of
Palestinian origin once a Palestinian state is created is "not desirable."
Ban avoided to answer a question at the year-end press conference about
Livni's statement and how the UN and the western world did not say a word in
reaction to it.
First he gave a lenghthy answer about the peace process and the
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, about the confidence building measures and
about the Quartet's efforts to make a breakthrough.
"One should be really sensitive before making any official position. But I
do not think this is an official position of the Israeli Government.
Therefore, let us wait until any such position is announced. I do not regard
it as an official position. It is not desirable," he said.
On the situation in Gaza, he said Israel's security is important but it
should not be a pretext to abuse human rights.
"Admitting all these (Israeli) security concerns, the humanitarian issue
should never be forgotten, the security concern should not give any reason to
abuse the humanitarian situation, human rights also," he said.
On the reported death threats on the life of General Assembly President
Miguel d'Escoto by jewish organisations, Ban said "if it is true, that is very
alarming and a most serious one, which I condemn. But I am not aware of any
substantive things on his information."
The threats were apparently addressed to d'Escoto because he reportedly
prevented the Israeli envoy from speaking on last week's commemoration of the
60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
D'Escoto denied the Israeli charge and invited the Israeli envoy Gabriela
Shalev late last week to discuss the issue. She reportedly ignored him and did
not show up. (end)
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