UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry has said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ announcement not run for re-election is a loud and clear wake-up call for Israel to freeze all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. After meeting with Mr. Abbas in Ramallah, Robert Serry told that either we go forward decisively to a two-State solution in accordance with Security Council resolutions, or we risk sliding backwards. He conveyed to President Abbas the Secretary-General’s strong support for his leadership. The UN is a co-sponsor, together with the European Union, Russia and the United States, of the Roadmap peace plan that seeks a two-State solution to the Middle East conflict, with both Israel and Palestine living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Israel occupied Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem in the 1967 war, which is not recognized by the international community. Since then, it has built dozens of settlements in the West Bank and areas of East Jerusalem, although it withdrew from Gaza in 2005.