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Blaming Israel, Ban understands Palestinians'' despair, Libya calls for "one

state solution" UNITED NATIONS, Nov 29 (KUNA) -- Blaming Israel, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday said he "understands" the Palestinian people's despair that peace with Israel will be achieved next year, at a time Libya is seeking a General Assembly resolution calling for the "One State Solution." Marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People observed yearly, Ban said "few Palestinians are optimistic that anything decisive will be achieved next year, or even at all. Looking at the situation on the ground, I understand this despair." He recalled that direct talks on final status were undermined by the expiration of Israel's settlement moratorium, the construction of hundreds of new units throughout the West Bank, and approvals to build new settlements in East Jerusalem.
This development is a "serious blow to the credibility of the political process. The obligation remains on Israel to meet its responsibilities under international law and the Roadmap to freeze settlement activity," he said.
He stressed that it is both Israel's interest and its duty to begin rolling back the measures of occupation, particularly with respect to movement, access and security actions.
On the situation in Gaza, he said he remains "very concerned," about conditions in Gaza and called on Israel to enable broader civilian reconstruction, free movement of persons and the export of goods, and to facilitate the swift implementation of projects. He also demanded that rocket fire from Gaza "must stop." "I challenge the two leaders to show statesmanship and political courage in reaching a historic peace," he said and to take advantage of the overwhelming international consensus on the need to end the occupation, address the security concerns of both parties, find a solution to the refugee issue and see Jerusalem as the capital of two States.
In the meantime, Libya circulated a draft resolution by which the General Assembly would decide that "there is no viable option other than the establishment of a single democratic, multiracial and multicultural State for both the Jews and the Palestinians, based on equal rights and equal obligations, which shall be disarmed and shall live in peace with its neighbours." Libya also wants the Assembly to call on the two parties to start, without delay and with support from the international community, negotiations for the realization of such a State.
The vote on the Libyan and other related draft resolutions is expected in the next few days.
In a message to the meeting read out by Palestinian Ambassador Ryadh Mansour, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said "we strongly reject all unilateral actions by Israel ... and demand its immediate cessation because they affect the final status issues and are a clear attempt to unilaterally determine the map of the final solution".
"We must draw lessons from the results of the past failures of international efforts to compel Israel to end its settlement policies and practices of aggression, which have caused so much damage to and undermined the credibility of the peace process with our people," he added.
He said he was "completely confident, as we are on the threshold of celebrating a new year that the suffering of our people is coming to an end".
"I am also sure that the renewal and confirmation of your solidarity and support for our people, especially at this time, will bolster our ... sincere efforts to establish a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region - ... a peace that will turn the page on the past with all its agonies, ... a peace that opens a new era of cooperation and coexistence in the region," he stressed.
At the same time, he renewed his message to the Israeli people that "our hand is still able to carry the olive branch, from the rubble, and will remain stretched for a just peace in order to secure a safe future for our children and their children".
He recalled that the Palestinian Authority was not elected to "improve the ugly face of the occupation but to bring an end to that occupation".
Peace, he added, requires bringing a decisive and final end to the "vicious Israeli colonial settlement campaign" in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which constitutes a "time bomb that could destroy everything we have accomplished on the road to peace at any moment".
The meeting was also addressed by the Presidents of the Security Council, the General Assembly, other diplomats and representatives of the civil society. It also received messages from Heads of state and government.
On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly adopted the Partition resolution which provided for the establishment in Palestine of a "Jewish State" and an "Arab State".(end) sj.bs KUNA 300038 Nov 10NNNN