UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on Saturday that the Middle East Quartet "strongly supports" Palestinian efforts to establishing their own state.
"The Quartet has sent a clear and strong message: we are strongly supporting your efforts to establish an independent and viable Palestinian state," the visiting Ban told Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad.
Meanwhile more than a thousand people in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, protested Saturday over Israel's plan to build settlements in East Jerusalem.
The demonstrators, who mostly wore white, shouted: "Destroy Israel, destroy Israel... Israel is the real terrorist in the world."
"The Israeli government should stop its aggression against Palestine. Israel should not build new settlements in East Jerusalem," protest coordinator Triwisaksana, who goes by one name, told AFP.
The protesters were brought together by the Prosperous Justice Party, a Muslim party in the government's coalition.
"We also demand the Indonesian government and parliament to quickly assist Palestine," he said.
Israel's plan to build more homes in annexed East Jerusalem has prompted the Palestinians to call for a halt to peace talks.
