JERUSALEM — U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned Tuesday that mounting violence in Israel and the West Bank risks “spinning out of control,” urging Palestinians to halt attacks and telling Israelis to refrain from harsh crackdowns.
The surprise visit by the U.N. chief highlights growing international concern over a burst of killings and attacks in recent weeks that have claimed dozens of lives and raised fears of another sustained Palestinian uprising. The widening unrest adds yet more volatility to a Middle East convulsed by civil strife and refugee crises.
A series of attacks by Palestinians, many of them involving knife assaults in Jerusalem, have spread panic among Israelis. Palestinians, in turn, accuse Israeli police and soldiers of using brutal tactics that have led to dozens of civilian deaths.
During a news conference with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Ban called for calm and said his visit to the region reflected a “sense of global alarm at the dangerous escalation in violence between Israelis and Palestinians.”
He also held out hope for a resolution to the recent unrest, saying that it is “not too late to avoid a broader crisis.”
Ban acknowledged Palestinian grievances, which include expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank, but urged those contemplating violence to “put down the weapons of despair.”
For Israeli leaders, he also noted the public’s fears and the need for security. Yet he said the tougher measures and reprisals, such as “walls, checkpoints … and home demolitions,” only deepen the tension.
“I am here,” Ban added, “to encourage and support all efforts to lower tensions and prevent the situation from spinning out of control.”
At least 10 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the past month. During that time, Israeli gunfire and clashes have killed 43 Palestinians, which includes 21 people who were labeled by authorities as assailants. On Sunday, a migrant from Eritrea died after he was shot by a security guard and beaten by an Israeli mob, apparently after being mistaken for a Palestinian.
Ban met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening and was expected to hold discussions the following day with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
At a press conference with Ban, Netanyahu had firm words for the Palestinian leader, accusing Abbas of not condemning violence carried out against Israelis.
