Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is scheduled to travel soon to the Middle East, spoke about the possibilities of peace between Israel and Arab countries. Meanwhile Israel and the United States view changes in the new Palestinian government as insufficient.

Mr Ban will soon travel to the Middle East on a 10-day trip visiting Saudi Arabia as well Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

In an interview he praised the 2002 Saudi peace proposal which offers Israel full recognition by Arab States and permanent peace in return for a withdrawal to pre-1967 borderlines, the establishment of an independent Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a return of Palestinian refugees to lands lost in the 1967 war. In his opinion, this proposal is a “pillar” in the search for Middle East peace.

“I know that there are still reservations shared by Israelis. But one cannot always be fully satisfied with one or two agreements. We must build upon these good principles,” he said.

The United Nations are one of the members of the Quartet—the others are the United States, Russia and the European Union—which is trying to broker a peace agreement in the region.

The Saudi proposal will also be discussed at the Arab summit Arab summit on March 28 and 29.

The secretary-general said he was disappointed that the new Palestinian coalition government did not endorsed the three basic peace principles set down by the Middle East Quartet, namely recognition of Israel, acceptance of previous agreements signed by the PLO and the Jewish state and renunciation of violence.

“It is important that parties concerned should respect the right to exist, particularly Israel's, and engage in dialogue without resorting to violence,” he said.

Yesterday the Israeli Cabinet endorsed Mr Olmert's hard line. The prime minister said that peace talks with the Palestinian coalition government would be impossible as long as it refuses to renounce violence and recognise Israel's right to exist.

In Palestine a coalition government between Hamas and the more moderate Fatah party was formed in order to get economic sanctions lifted after they were imposed last year following Hamas’ victory and its continued support for terrorism and refusal to recognise Israel. The loss of international aid has led to the virtual collapse of the Palestinian economy.

Though the new government does not condemn terrorism as a form of resistance against Israeli occupation, it does call for consolidating and expanding a truce with Israel.

Its platform appears to implicitly recognise Israel by calling for a Palestinian state on lands the Israelis captured in 1967, in contrast with Hamas' past calls to eliminate Israel altogether.

But yesterday, Olmert urged the international community to maintain economic sanctions against a government which does not accept the Quartet principles.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that the Palestinian government’s continued support for the “right of resistance” against Israel is disturbing.

Norway, a major donor to the Palestinians, has already agreed to resume aid to the Palestinians. Britain and the United Nations have also signalled flexibility.

For their part Palestinian officials urged Israel to reconsider.

“This statement [Olmert’s] continues the long-standing Israeli policy that says there is no Palestinian partner for peace," said Azzam al-Ahmed of Fatah, the new Palestinian deputy prime minister. “Israel doesn't want to revive the peace process.”

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh renewed the claim that Palestinians have right to oppose Israeli occupation, but has also called for consolidating and expanding a truce with Israel.

By contrast, Haniyeh’s Hamas party issued a statement yesterday distancing itself from the government calling “on the national unity government to support the choice of resistance against the occupation.”