Israel says the Palestinian move to present a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council will only delay any possible resolution to their conflict, and that the two sides must instead focus on negotiations.
The measure presented Wednesday would set a deadline for a negotiated, two-state solution with Israel withdrawing from the Palestinian territories.
Israeli Foreign ministry spokesman Paul Hirschson said Thursday that the Palestinian strategy amounts to avoiding talks and "pursuing conflict."
"This conflict will only get resolved across the negotiating table. It would be prudent of the international community to explain this truth to the Palestinians and to encourage them to get back to the negotiating table and down to the difficult tasks of those difficult compromises that both sides, and that includes the Palestinians, are going to have to make," said Hirschson.
The resolution would need the approval of nine of the council's 15 members, and any of the five permanent members can block it with a veto. That group includes Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States, which has used the prospect of a veto to prevent previous Council action related to Israel.
The United States is widely expected to veto the measure.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the U.N., said Wednesday he would not push for a quick vote, giving the council more time to discuss the proposal.
