News Analysis: UN chief's Mideast visit not helpful enough to defuse Israel-Palestine tensions

While UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon's recent surprise visit to Israel and Palestine would be helpful to boost global attention to the Palestinian cause in the war-torn Middle East, real solutions to the calm the tensions between the two conflicting sides are still sadly distant, local official and expert said.

During his two-day visit, Ban urged the two parties to calm tension and violence, and return to direct peace talks, which had been stalled since April last year, but he has offered no initiative to defuse the mounting tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.

Ahmed Majdalani, senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said the UN needs to help bring the Palestinian cause back on the world's agenda, especially at a time when countries like Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, have been struggling with devastating wars and conflicts, which have marginalized the Palestinian cause.

Ahmed Awwad, the political science professor at al-Quds Open University in the West Bank, told Xinhua that although Ban has expressed his concerns of what is happening between the two sides, yet the international community is still without any serious moves to unravel the decade-old problem.

Although Ban's visit shed the light on the Palestinian cause, political science professor at Beir Zeit University in the West Bank Sami Awad told Xinhua that the UN intervention in the conflict is so far inactive and not obligatory at all, adding "tension between the two sides may escalate."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly requested the UN to step in, and to protect his people, while Ban gave no clear or direct answer to the request.

Hani Habib, the Gaza-based political analyst ruled out an international protection of Palestinians requested by the Palestinian leadership, adding "this request is not new and it was presented after every wave of flaring conflict."

"Every time the Palestinians ask for protection, Israel rejects it," said Habib, adding "protecting the Palestinians need two conditions; first the acceptance of the concerned parties (Israel and the Palestinians) and second the approval of the (UN) Security Council.

With both of the conditions missing, Habib said "the request remains part of the diplomatic war amid complicated Palestinian-Israeli ties and amid the current international political balance of powers."

Hani el-Masri, head of Badeel Center for Political Researches and Studies told Xinhua that United States doesn't want UN to have a bigger say in Palestinian-Israeli relations.

"Washington always wanted to monopolize sponsoring the bilateral talks between Israel and the Palestinians and it opposes any activation of the UN role, which undermines its performance in resolving the Palestinian cause," said el-Masri. Endit