UN Chief Reprimands Netanyahu On New Settlements

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon reprimanded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday, on the issue of Israeli settlement constructions and challenged him to demonstrate leadership and make compromises for achieving peace.

The U.N. Secretary General , who is on a two day visit to the region, said that new settlement construction plans announced by Israel  in East Jerusalem were a clear violation of the International law.

Under the new settlement plans, Israel intends to build 2,600 new homes in Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem. A Jerusalem city official signed the final go- ahead two weeks ago for the construction of the houses.

The new settlements would comprise a stretch of Jewish housing in east Jerusalem and would create a new obstacle to the Palestinian aim of establishing a capital in the area.

"This does not send the right signals, and I urge the government of Israel to reverse these activities," Ban said, standing next to Netanyahu. "The status quo is not tenable. It is clear the sides must return to the negotiation table with the readiness to make the tough but necessary compromises, " he said , reports the Associated Press.

Ban told Netanyahu  that this was the time for showing leadership, for the recommencement of talks and for ending polarizations.

Regarding the recent clashes at hilltop compound, Ban said that he was profoundly concerned by the repeated provocations at the holy sites in Jerusalem.  He said that such clashes should be stopped as they aggravate tensions.  The hilltop compound site is venerated by both Jews and Muslims.  

However, Netanyahu said it was the Palestinian extremists who were instigating violence by spreading unfounded rumors that Israel was threatening Muslim holy places.

Turning to the issue of Hamas firing rockets at Israeli cities during the recent war, Netanyahu criticized U.N. for returning the rockets found in U.N. schools.

"The root cause of this summer's outburst of violence was Hamas' rocketing of Israeli cities, and these rocket attacks often exploited U.N. neutrality, using U.N. facilities and U.N. schools as part of the Hamas machine of terror."

"And when rockets were discovered inside U.N. schools, some U.N. officials handed them back to Hamas - that very same Hamas that was rocketing Israeli cities and Israeli civilian," Netanyahu said, reports The Guardian.