Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations. Photo: WEF.

JNS.org – United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met in New York on Friday with visiting Israeli Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and told him that while the nuclear deal with Iran was “good,” it was “not perfect.”

“There are no perfect agreements,” Ban told Edelstein.

Edelstein said, “As a son of the Jewish people, who experienced the Holocaust, I believe someone when he says he wants to destroy us.”

Ban also called for the renewal of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

“You must sit and talk,” Ban said. “I am very worried from the crime, the violence and the provocations in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. The Middle East needs security and both sides have an interest to improve the situation. That will only happen through dialogue.”

Edelstein said, “Both sides have joint interests and we must ensure a good life for future generations. We must cooperate on issues like water resources, the environment and agriculture. Only in that way can we build a strong basis for peace.”