Posted on February 1st, 2012 by Marian Houk
UN Secretary-General BAN Ki-Moon met Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem today, then Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. After both meetings, there was a press conference. In Jerusalem with Netanyahu, BAN said “Settlements do not help the peace process… I told the prime minister that he should refrain from future construction”. [Just future construction? [...]
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Filed under: BAN Ki-Moon, Boundaries & Borders, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, UN Secretary-General, UN Security Council, United Nations
Posted on September 21st, 2011 by Marian Houk
Rallies are taking place in cities around the West Bank today, organized by the non-official but officially-approved “National Committee – Palestine: UN State 194″. Palestine TV, which is covering the Ramallah rally live, listed a series of uninspiring speeches for demo in ex-Clock Square [now Yasser Arafat Sq] in Ramallah, then performance by Al-Ashaqeen. At [...]
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Filed under: BAN Ki-Moon, Palestine & Palestinians
Posted on September 19th, 2011 by Marian Houk
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has arrived in New York for what has looked like an eventful week that would culminate in a Palestinian bid for full membership in the United Nations. Abbas met the UN Secretary-General BAN Ki-Moon today — but did not submit the letter that has to be given to the UN Secretary-General [...]
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Filed under: BAN Ki-Moon, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, US in UN, United Nations
Posted on September 16th, 2011 by Marian Houk
In this Al-Jazeera International interview with a nicely designed set — possibly in the UNSG’s 38th floor office, it seems — UNSG BAN Ki-Moon speaks with Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey, and says: “Membership in UN is something that is up to the member states of the UN … It does not fall within my mandate [...]
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Filed under: BAN Ki-Moon, Palestine & Palestinians, UN Secretary-General, United Nations
Posted on September 15th, 2011 by Marian Houk
Was the UNSG taking a diplomatic half-step back from his earlier support for a long-overdue Palestinian State? What he said, at a hastily-summoned press conference at UNHQ/NY on Thursday, was exactly this: “I am profoundly troubled by the lack of progress in the peace negotiations. It is vital that they resume. Ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict [...]
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Filed under: BAN Ki-Moon, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, US in UN
Posted on September 10th, 2011 by Marian Houk
During a visit to Canberra, Australia, the UN Secretary-General BAN Ki-Moon made headlines here, and probably around the world, by saying that a Palestinian state is “long overdue”. AFP reported that the UNSG said: “The two state vision where Israel and Palestinians can live… side by side in peace and security — that is a [...]
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Filed under: BAN Ki-Moon, Palestine & Palestinians, US in UN, USA
Posted on February 25th, 2011 by Marian Houk
In today’s UN Security Council meeting at UNHQ/NY, Libya’s Ambassador Mohammad Abdel-Rahman Shalgham (until today, apparently loyal to Col. Muammar Qaddhafi, and according to AFP his childhood friend) formally joined his deputy (Ibrahim Dabbashi), and the opposition to the current regime in his country. Shalgham reportedly told the Security Council: “Please, the United Nations, save [...]
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Filed under: BAN Ki-Moon, Human Rights, Libya, UN Secretary-General, UN Security Council, United Nations
Posted on August 16th, 2010 by Marian Houk
There’s only one convincing way to respond to attacks on oneself and/or one’s leadership: to smile and give genuine assurances that you are going to give full consideration to the arguments of opponents, or the opposition, and in any case you will sure try to do better. UNSG BAN Ki-Moon has just chosen a poor [...]
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Filed under: BAN Ki-Moon, UN Administration
Posted on March 21st, 2010 by Marian Houk
UNSG BAN Ki-Moon entered the Gaza strip this morning (Sunday) — despite firing of at least four rockets from Gaza on Saturday to Israeli perimeter communities. Such firing usually brings Israeli reprisals — but that will have to wait until BAN leaves the Gaza Strip. [UPDATE: SMS Israel is reporting that Palestinian sources say the [...]
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Filed under: BAN Ki-Moon, Gaza, Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, International Humanitarian Law, International Law, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, Sanctions
Posted on March 20th, 2010 by Marian Houk
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad gave UN Secretary-General BAN Ki-Moon a safe and secure look at the situation on the ground in the West Bank. UNSG BAN was originally supposed to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas — but Abbas reportedly is suffering back pain following an accidental fall last week, and was advised to rest [...]
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Filed under: BAN Ki-Moon, Boundaries & Borders, Israel, Middle East Peace Process, Palestine & Palestinians
