Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Ramallah, 01 February 2012
Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for your very kind welcome and hospitality. It is always a great pleasure and privilege for me to continue to work with you and thank you very much for all the support you have given to me. I am also very pleased to visit Israel just after the start of my second term as Secretary-General. You can count on me as Secretary-General in working together for peace and stability in this region. Peace and stability in the Middle East has global implications. That is why everybody wishes that these peace talks should continue so that you can see and realize just and lasting peace in this part of the world. Again ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure to meet you today. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I just concluded a very constructive dialogue over lunch and again thank you very much for your wonderful hospitality. Once again, we are at critical moment for Israel and the region. I am encouraged that the parties have started direct talks in the framework of the Middle East Quartet and under Jordanian auspices. I remain hopeful that direct, frequent exchanges between the parties will continue. I also hope that Israel will be forthcoming with its own concrete proposals on territory and security, as called for by the Quartet in order to reach agreement on all final status issues before the end of this year. The success of Amman talks is in the interest of both Israelis and Palestinians. I commend the Prime Minister Netanyahu, his commitment to a two-state solution. This is the moment to display further leadership to ensure that the negotiations continue. As you were re-elected as leader of the Likud party and you are going to continue another term -- as I am beginning a second term as United Nations Secretary-General, you have got a good opportunity.[It is a] good opportunity for us to work together to continue for the Middle East peace process. A credible political horizon is imperative for the emergence of a Palestinian state living in peace and security side-by-side with Israel. The consequences of inaction would be grave for either side. Now is also the time for both sides to take steps that build trust and confidence. I discussed with the Prime Minister meaningful ways to sustain these nascent talks. I also strongly urged the government of Israel to act in a constructive spirit and offer goodwill gestures which will help create positive dynamics. The Prime Minister and I also discussed the situation in this area and Gaza and I informed him of my planned visit tomorrow. I shared my concerns about the fragility of the calm and stressed that continued rocket attacks out of Gaza must stop. It is unacceptable. Gaza remains a priority for me and for the United Nations family. I thus urged the Prime Minister to take further steps to facilitate the delivery of the United Nations important humanitarian and development assistance in the service of the Gazan people. Let me conclude by saying that I am well aware of the anxiety in Israel about the evolving regional situation. It is my firm belief that Israel can contribute positively to regional transformations and improve its strategic relations with its neighbours, including by constructively engaging in the peace process with the Palestinians. And I look forward Mr. Prime Minister to working together to achieve our shared goals.
