UN chief urges Netanyahu to make tough choices in farewell visit

Jerusalem : UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take "courageous steps" toward peace on a farewell visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Ban visited the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, met Netanyahu and later held talks in the occupied West Bank with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.

He condemned a recent wave of Palestinian attacks, which he called "terrorism", and said the Gaza blockade was "collective punishment".

Speaking alongside Netanyahu at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, Ban called for efforts to keep the possibility of a two-state solution alive.

While acknowledging the threats facing Israel, Ban said "we must not allow difficulties to become excuses for inaction".

"I encourage you to take the courageous steps necessary to prevent a one-state reality or perpetual conflict that is incompatible with realising the national aspirations of the Israelis and Palestinian people," he said.

"We cannot ignore key underlying causes of violence: growing Palestinian anger, the paralysis of the peace process, the nearly a half-century of occupation."

Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank along with the lack of any progress in peace efforts have helped feed a wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks since October, many analysts say.

"Stabbings, vehicle rammings and shootings have only one name: terrorism," said Ban.

"Incitement to such acts and glorification of their perpetrators are unacceptable and must be stopped," he added.

Violence has declined in recent weeks, though attacks continue to occur, including a gun attack at a Tel Aviv cafe on June 8 that killed four Israelis.