U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged the international community not to "lose sight of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," stressing that its resolution was no less urgent than the ongoing brutal civil war in Syria.
In a message to the U.N. Asia and Pacific International Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace, Ban called for a "clear political horizon" to break the impasse and maximize present momentum.
In his message to the conference, organized by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Ban warned that "the coming weeks will be critical" for the ongoing efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"I cannot stress enough the risk of missing the current window of opportunity," he told the dozens of government delegates, academics, regional experts and civil society representatives gathered in Beijing for the two-day meet to discuss reviving the collective international engagement towards a two-State solution.
The U.N. chief stressed that it is "imperative" that everyone in the international community work collectively to make 2013 a positive year for Israeli-Palestinian peace and peace in the whole region.
In his keynote address, Assistant Secretary-General Fernandez-Taranco urged both Israelis and Palestinians to make use of the momentum provided by the renewed U.S. and international support for the peace process. He also expressed hopes that the concerned parties will demonstrate the political courage necessary to overcome decades of mistrust as well as conflict, and engage in meaningful negotiations.
He, however, acknowledged that "the odds are not favorable," with the gap between the parties widening, and with mistrust and skepticism at an "all-time high."
Peacemaking in such conditions is daunting and, some would say that the "time is not right and the situation is not ripe, or that it is already too late," Fernandez-Taranco noted. It might be true that "it is the last chance," but the U.N. believes "we have no other choice than to keep trying."
Providing a credible diplomatic horizon needs the concerted action and support of the international community and key regional stakeholders, he said, pledging U.N. support for any credible initiative.
At the same time, he cautioned that rushing the parties back to the table without the necessary framework in place and "buy-in" from both sides will be counter-productive. "The risk and price of failure are too high," Fernandez-Taranco warned.
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