Jerusalem (dpa) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon kicked off a series of meetings Wednesday with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, holding talks in Jerusalem with President Shimon Peres. Ban is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories in an attempt to persuade the sides to continue direct exploratory talks which began in Amman last month, and whose future is currently in doubt. Visiting Amman on Tuesday, Ban called on both sides to persist in their dialogue, which is aimed at setting the stage for full-blown peace talks. He urged the Israeli government “to make some good gestures so that the meetings can continue” and the Palestinians to change their mind and resume the Amman discussions. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to consult with the Arab League on Saturday, before making a final decision on whether the Jordan-brokered talks will continue. Ban is also scheduled Wednesday to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. He will travel to Ramallah in the late afternoon for talks with Abbas. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/xwtpz Tags: Ban Ki-moon, Israel, Talks, UN Section: Latest News, Palestine
