Ban Ki-Moon’s Week of Israeli Criticism Ends With Fusillade at the U.N.

A week of harsh criticism of Israel by Ban Ki-moon culminated at the United Nations Thursday, with Ban launching a fusillade at Tel Aviv, recounting the destruction he saw during his week-long trip to the Middle East.

"I travelled to Gaza two days ago to survey the needs for myself," Ban said. "I saw whole communities destroyed, and an economy in ruins. I met with the parents of some of the more than 500 children killed in the fighting. I heard heartbreaking accounts of epic loss. So many people are homeless with winter approaching," Ban said.

"I fully understand the security threat from rockets above and tunnels below," Ban added, referring to the tunnels used by Hamas to attack Israel. "At the same time, the scale of the destruction in Gaza has left deep questions about proportionality."

Ban’s continued criticism of Israel has frustrated officials in Tel Aviv, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who view them as overly harsh. Earlier this week, during a meeting with Ban, Netanyahu said that the U.N. was forgiving Hamas for using U.N. facilities as a front for attacks on Israel.

"The root cause of this summer’s outburst of violence was Hamas’ rocketing of Israeli cities, and these rocket attacks often exploited U.N. neutrality, using U.N. facilities and U.N. schools as part of the Hamas machine of terror," Netanyahu said. "And when rockets were discovered inside U.N. schools, some U.N. officials handed them back to Hamas — that very same Hamas that was rocketing Israeli cities and Israeli civilians."

On Friday, Ban also was critical of lack of progress on peace talks.

"The Gaza situation is a symptom of a larger problem: the stalemate in the Middle East peace process," he continued. "People are understandably disillusioned with a decades-long effort that has failed to deliver a final deal. I know that trust has been eroded and unilateral actions look tempting."

Ban said that the only option for peace is a two-state solution. Palestinians are using the United Nations as a forum to rally support for statehood. At last month’s General Assembly, President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of "committing genocide in Gaza" and "missing no opportunity to undermine the chance for peace" while "seeking the continuation and entrenchment of the occupation." The remarks drew a sharp reaction from the State Department.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu said that Palestinian actions at the United Nations were undermining the peace process at a time when international support for a Palestinian state is growing. Sweden has recognized Palestine as a state, as has the British parliament.

"A real peace can only be achieved through bilateral negotiations," Netanyahu told Ban during a meeting in Jerusalem. "I believe that unilateral steps by Palestinians at the United Nations will not advance peace. If the United Nations wants to a support a genuine reconciliation, it must avoid any steps that could undermine peace.  

The Israeli embassy did not immediately comment on Ban’s remarks.