Wikileaks: Ban Ki-Moon Worked with Israel to Undermine UN Report

The General Secretary of United Nations (UN) Ban Ki-Moon collaborated in secret with Israel and the United States to weaken the effects of a Board of Inquiry's report accusing Israel of human rights violations in Gaza in Dec. 2008 – Jan. 2009.

Wikileaks released documents on Friday that revealed that Ban wrote a letter to the UN Security Council asking its members not to take recommendations by the UN Board of Inquiry about Israeli bombings in Gaza into account.

The report demonstrated that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) had a direct role in seven of the nine attacks against buildings of the UN in Gaza strip, and accused Israel of having breached the inviolability and immunity of UN premises.

According to Wikileaks, Susan Rice, White House National Security Advisor, spoke at least four times with Ban Ki Moon “to discuss concerns over the Board of Inquiry's report on incidents at UN sites in December 2008 and January 2009".

The report's recommendations included the need for a deeper and impartial investigation into the recent “incidents”, and into the bombings of UN facilities.

According to Wikileaks, Rice first asked Ban not to include the recommendations in the final report's summary, supposed to be transmitted to the UN Security Council on May 5.

Ban responded that “he was constrained in what he could do since the Board of Inquiry is independent; it was their report and recommendations and he could not alter them”.

In the second conversation, “Rice urged the Secretary-General to make clear in his cover letter when he transmits the summary to the Security Council that those recommendations exceeded the scope of the terms of reference and no further action is needed."

Ban then replied that "his staff was working with an Israeli delegation on the text of the cover letter”.

He confirmed in the last phone call that “a satisfactory cover letter” had been completed. In the letter,

Source : http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Wikileaks-Ban-Ki-Moon-Worked-with-Israel-to-Undermine-UN-Report-20140809-0020.html

Japan condemns Israel’s new settlement plan in East al-Quds

Japan has condemned the Tel Aviv regime over attempts to construct more illegal settler units in East al-Quds (Jerusalem), as international outcry gains momentum over Israel's plans to expropriate more occupied Palestinian lands in the West Bank.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry in a statement released on Tuesday said the plan “clearly contradicts…efforts currently exerted by the international community” for Middle East peace, calling on Israel to “reverse its decision.”

“Israeli settlement activities violate international law…. Japan constantly calls on Israel to completely halt all settlement activities,” the statement said, adding, “The Japanese government strongly calls on Israel to refrain from taking any unilateral actions that could change the current situation in East Jerusalem (al-Quds) as well as in the West Bank.”

The Tel Aviv regime plans to build over 2,600 new illegal settler units in the Givat Hamatos settlement in East al-Quds.

The European Union's External Action Service in a statement issued on October 3 described the step as "highly detrimental" to diplomatic efforts for Israeli-Palestinian peace, urging Israel to "urgently reverse" actions leading to settlement expansion in East al-Quds.

US State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, told reporters in Washington on October 1 that Israel’s move would send a "troubling message."

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also censured the plan in a statement on October 2, saying, "If this decision is upheld, it would mark the creation of a new settlement in East Jerusalem (al-Quds) for the first time in more than 15 years."

More than half a million Israelis live in more than 120 settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank including East al-Quds in 1967.

The Israeli settlements are considered to be illegal by the United Nations and most countries because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are thus subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.

MP/HMV/SS

Source: http://www.presstv.com/detail/2014/10/08/381495/japan-slams-israel-settlement-plan/

Palestinian presidency 'encouraged' by France, Sweden

'Recognizing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital is the only path toward security and stability in the whole region'

The Palestinian presidency on Monday described as "encouraging" latest Swedish and French statements that the two countries would recognize the state of Palestine.

"These are encouraging steps," Palestinian presidency spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeinah said.

"They serve the future of peace in Palestine and the region," he added in a press release.

Earlier on Monday, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said that there was an "urgent" necessity to move ahead with the two-state solution, which requires mutual recognition and the will of both Israel and the people of Palestine to co-exist peacefully.

"This is the solution that the international community supports," he was quoted by French media as saying.

His statements come hard on the heels of statements by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Loefven that his country would recognize the state of Palestine.

Abu Rudeinah said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the stated positions of both France and Sweden.

"Recognizing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital is the only path toward security and stability in the whole region," Abu Rudeinah said in the press release.

He called on other countries to follow in the footsteps of both France and Sweden by adopting similar "courageous" positions.

"We are still astonished by some countries that still move against the logic of history and a successful peace process that paves the road for the return of security and stability to this restive region," Abu Rudeinah said.

Last week, the Palestinian presidency distributed a draft resolution for ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories by November 2016 to the representatives of the 15 member states of the United Nations Security Council.

Source : https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/14533-palestinian-presidency-encouraged-by-france-sweden