Gaza, Alray - “The root cause of the continuation of the conflict was not settlement construction but the Palestinian refusal to recognize the Jewish state in any boundary,” Netanyahu speaking to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday.

Jerusalem Post qouted UN cheif Ban Ki-moon as saying "I think today everybody understands that the root cause of the instability in the Middle East and beyond has to do with the convulsion that is historic and cultural in nature of which the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is merely one of many, many such manifestations,"

Ban arrived in (Israel) Thursday afternoon for a 36-hour visit to show his support for the renewed Israel-Palestinian negotiations. He met with PA President Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah Thursday afternoon.