UN chief urges calm amid violence

Associated Press

JERUSALEM

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for calm during a surprise visit to Jerusalem on Tuesday ahead of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, in a high-profile gambit to bring an end to a monthlong wave of violence.

The visit comes amid unrest that erupted a month ago over tensions surrounding Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site sacred to Jews and Muslims. A spate of almost daily Palestinian attacks against civilians and soldiers, most of which have involved stabbings, has caused panic across Israel and raised fears that the region is on the cusp of a new round of bloodshed.

“These are difficult times for Israelis and Palestinians. I am here in the hope that we can work together to end the violence, ease the tensions and begin to restore a long-term political horizon of peace,” Ban said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday night.

“I deplore the random attacks against civilians. Such terror attacks make every place unsafe and every person, regardless of gender or age, a potential victim,” he said.

“We need to keep the situation from escalating into a religious conflict, with potential regional implications,” he added.

Over the past month, 10 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks, most of them stabbings. In that time, 46 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, including 25 identified by Israel as attackers, and the rest in clashes with Israeli troops. An Eritrean migrant died after being shot by a security guard and beaten by a mob that mistakenly believed he was a Palestinian assailant during a deadly Arab attack at a bus station.

Netanyahu said Tuesday night that the violence has been caused largely by incitement from Palestinian leaders, including President Mahmoud Abbas.

“President Abbas, unfortunately, has been fanning the flames. President Abbas has not condemned a single one of the 30 terrorist attacks against Israelis over the last month, and he continues to glorify the terrorists as heroes,” Netanyahu said.

The initial outbreak of Palestinian attacks was fueled by rumors that Israel was plotting to take over Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site.