Ban Ki-moon and Ehud Barak meet in NYC

Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak has said that Israel is still trying to find a formula that allows the resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians by reaching an understanding among the members of the Quartet. Barak emphasized once again that direct negotiations are the only way to reach a permanen settlement.  However, he said that he was not able to predict the outcome of the efforts for the resumption of these negotiations. Barak’s statements came after a meeting in New York late on Friday with UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon.  During the meeting they discussed the Palestinian move that is expected in the United Nations in September, and the situation in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and in Lebanon and the region as a whole. A spokesman for the Secretary General of the international organization said that Ban Ki-Moon called for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and an end to the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.  He also expressed concern over the expansion of the settlements in the West Bank, and the construction work in East Jerusalem.