Holy Days Should Be for Reflection, Not Incitement, Secretary-General Stresses in Statement on Jerusalem, Reiterating ‘Provocations’ Must Stop Immediately

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Jerusalem, particularly the incidents in and around the holy sites.  He is actively engaged with leaders to do all they can to lower tensions, avoid inflammatory actions and rhetoric, and restore calm.

The provocations must stop immediately.  The ongoing holy days for Muslims, Jews and Christians should be a period of peace and reflection, not incitement and violence.  The Secretary-General reiterates that the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem must be upheld and respected.

He is committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.  The Secretary-General also reaffirms the need to avoid the excessive use of force and to stop all unilateral measures, like settlements and evictions, that can undermine the two-State solution.