U.N. Chief Omits Mention of Israeli Terror Victims

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Tuesday expressed his concern over the recent surge in tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, condemning the killings of Palestinians without mention of Israeli terror victims, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The U.N. chief said he is “profoundly alarmed by the growing number of deadly incidents in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”

“The secretary-general welcomes the commitment by Palestinian and Israeli officials to work together to curb the violence, including through continued security cooperation,” he added.

Ban said he did not believe that the demolition of homes belonging to Palestinian terrorists or the construction of new Israeli settlements “will do anything other than inflame tensions still further.”

Ban acknowledged the death of four Palestinians, referring to a 13-year-old boy whom the IDF said was accidentally killed by misfire and three terrorists who were killed by security forces following attacks that killed four Israelis. 

While he said the “escalation of violent incidents underscores the need for urgent action by both sides,” Ban placed responsibility on Israel to investigate incidents of violence.

“The secretary-general condemns the killings and looks to the government of Israel to conduct a prompt and transparent investigation into the incidents, including whether the use of force was proportional,” the U.N. statement said.

However, Ban’s statement made no specific mention of the four Israeli casualties in terrorist shootings and stabbings over the past week, nor did he mention steps the Palestinian Authority government should take.

He also pointed toward the reported hundreds of Palestinians injured in clashes with Israeli security forces, and called these events “yet another worrisome sign of violence potentially spiraling out of control.”

This article appeared in print on page 15 of the October 8th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.