Ban Ki-Moon, the secretary-general of the United Nations yesterday toured a Palestinian refugee camp and spoke of the "very sad and tragic" results of the controversial security wall erected by Israel. He also praised the "resilience" of the Palestinian people and the "unwavering commitment" to independence of the president, Mahmoud Abbas. In his first trip to the Palestinian territories, Mr Ban visited the Aida refugee camp on the outskirts of the biblical town of Bethlehem in the West Bank, just south of the Israeli wall. He went on to the roof of a UN-run girls' school in the camp to take a look at the barrier, which in some sections, including the one near Aida, is made up of towering cement blocks. "No wall will stop us," read a piece of graffiti in English.
Mr Ban said: "I have deep admiration for these people, for the resilience of Palestinian people, to make their lives better. This has strengthened my resolve and commitment to work for peace in the Middle East." Senior UN officials and Salah Tameri, the Palestinian governor of Bethlehem, explained to Mr Ban the difficulties caused by Israeli travel restrictions and the barrier. Mr Ban said it was "a very sad and tragic thing to see many suffering from the construction of this wall, depriving opportunities for basic living".
He was heavily guarded during the brief visit to the camp and constantly surrounded by bodyguards. | I protest the human wall surrounding the SecGen and preventing him from experiencing the hospitality the Paleos are justly famous for. |
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