Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Ex-UN chief, former world leaders urge Biden to draw up new Mideast peace plan
Ban Ki-moon, former United Nations secretary-general and deputy chair of The Elders, listens to questions during a press conference at the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel in Yongsan District, May 31. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Nam Hyun-woo
Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other members of a group of senior independent global leaders urged U.S. President Joe Biden to come up with "a serious peace plan that undermines extremists" in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In an open letter to Biden, Thursday, the group, The Elders, noted that Biden has "a historic opportunity" to help end the Israel-Palestine conflict permanently, and called for the U.S. President to "set out a serious peace plan, and help build a new coalition for peace to deliver it."
"The only way to make Israelis and Palestinians safe is a lasting political solution," the letter read. "It must guarantee the security of Israel, whose people remain under threat. And it must meet Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for their own state."
The Elders noted that the world has spoken of a two-state solution "for too long," but allowed Israel to build a one-state reality, which suits extremists in Israel and Palestine who deny the other country's right to exist.
The two-state solution is a proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing two states for two peoples ― Israel for the Jews and Palestine for the Palestinians.
"It is time to end the empty rhetoric, and implement a serious peace plan that undermines extremists," the letter read.
The group continued that the plan should answer who runs Gaza next, end Israel's accelerating annexation of Palestinian land, and address Israel's legitimate security concerns. It also has to recognize the equal rights of Palestinians and Israelis, and be rooted in international laws.
Noting that Israelis and Palestinians will not end their conflict on their own, The Elders said that the U.S. cannot bring peace to the Middle Eastt on its own, and should build a peace coalition with other countries.
"U.S. credibility and interests across the world are at stake," the letter read. "Israeli policies of expanding illegal settlements in the West Bank, and normalizing relations with Arab countries while bypassing the Palestinians, have not made Israelis safe. Successive U.S. governments have been complicit in these failures."
Founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, The Elders is an international organization of senior statesmen, peace activists and human rights advocates. Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, is the chair of The Elders and Ban is the deputy chair of the group.
The Elders paid a visit to President Yoon Suk Yeol on May 30, and held a press conference on May 31 in Seoul. Back then, they urged China to play a responsible role in addressing North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.