UN chief 'not optimistic' about Israeli-Palestinian crisis

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council on Oct. 21 that he was "not optimistic" following his talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to urge them to defuse tensions, diplomats said.

Ban addressed a closed-door emergency session of the council by video-conference from Amman, the latest stop on his mission to put an end to the spiraling violence.
 
The UN chief traveled to the region on Oct. 20 to urge the Israelis and Palestinians to pull back from a "dangerous escalation" that could lead to a full-scale Palestinian uprising.
 
After meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, Ban delivered a sobering assessment of the prospects, according to diplomats at the meeting.
 
"We were struck by the pessimistic tone which he gave us," British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters after the meeting.
 
"There is a wide gap" between the leaders, said Rycroft, "both on the short term on how to de-escalate and on the longer term, on how to get back to a genuine political process."  

Ban told the council that addressing the situation at the holy sites was key to quelling tensions, and that he was very concerned by incitement from both sides.
 
Stating bluntly that he had emerged from his meetings "not optimistic," he said there was no time to waste to press for a de-escalation and pull the sides back from the brink.
 
At least 47 Palestinians and an Arab Israeli have been killed in the upsurge in violence that began at the start of the month, including alleged attackers. Eight Israelis have also died.
         
The UN chief also presented a report prepared by his legal experts on international protection after the...