Israeli Defense And Foreign Ministers Meet With UN Chief By Sam Harari August 1, 2008 The Bulletin Original Source: http://www.thebulletin.us/site/index.cfm?newsid=19882621&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=8 United Nations - Two high-ranking Israeli government ministers met with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in New York over the past two days to discuss Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni spoke with Mr. Ban separately on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Addressing Lebanon, Mr. Barak thanked Mr. Ban for his help recovering the bodies of the two murdered Israeli soldiers from Hezbollah custody and addressed Resolution 1701's ineffectiveness. That resolution brought an end to the 2006 Lebanon War with Hezbollah. [The United Nations Interim Force In Lebanons (UNIFIL)] plays a positive role, but Hezbollah keeps violating [Resolution 1701], together with the Syrians, to an extent with the Iranians, smuggling into Lebanon a flow of munitions, rockets and other weapons systems in a way that risks the stability and the very fine subtle equilibrium in Lebanon, Mr. Barak said. After being asked with whom he preferred for prime minister in the upcoming Kadima primaries, Mr. Barak emphasized the Israelis were united regardless of ideology. We support our state and want to protect it against threats, Mr. Barak said. He kept his lips shut on domestic politics, as did his colleague, Ms. Livni. Internal politics do not affect the views of Israel as a state, Ms. Livni said, speaking separately in reference to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's decision to step aside, on Thursday. She added, speaking in Hebrew, whatever coalition that would come to power in Israel would aim to return the trust of the public. Many analysts believe she will be a strong contender to win the Kadima primary and become the next prime minister this fall. Mr. Barak also addressed the Iranian nuclear program, saying his nation takes Tehran's comments very seriously, because it has threatened to wipe Israel off the map. Israel, he said, is strong enough to resist all threats posed by Iran. The Israeli defense minister emphasized all possible means under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, including sanctions, should be taken to ensure Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons. Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter allows the Security Council to determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and to take military and nonmilitary action to restore international peace and security. The Kuwaiti daily al-Seyassah recently reported Iranian authorities had begun construction of a secret nuclear reactor in the Al-Zarqan region close to the city of Ahwaz in southwestern Iran. Its existence remains unknown to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, which has focused on other nuclear locations instead. Ms. Livni re-emphasized everything her colleague had said. When asked about the effect of Palestinian terror, Hamas in Gaza, and the expansion of Jewish settlements on the West Bank on the peace process, Ms. Livni said, There are some excuses that we can use, or abuse, in order to say something about the peace process. I suggest not to use this. At Annapolis, we decided not to let the situation on the ground interfere with the peace talks. Ms. Livni emphasized the situation throughout the Middle East is caused by a conflict between extremists and moderates, adding that a number of Arab and Islamic states also consider Iran a threat.