Palestinians to seek full UN membership

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- In a direct challenge to the United States, the Palestinians said Thursday they would ask the Security Council next week to accept them as a full member of the United Nations, even though Washington has promised to veto the measure.

The Palestinian assertion came as a senior U.S. diplomatic team was in the region trying to avert an embarrassing showdown and relaunch peace talks. By pushing forward, the Palestinians risk putting President Barack Obama in the uneasy position of having to veto a measure supported by the majority of the international community.

Foreign Minister Riad Malki told foreign journalists the Palestinians were not looking for a fight. But he said the American stance puts the United States in a "confrontational position" with the rest of the world, and suggested American credibility could be at stake.

"I don't know what it means to the standing of the U.S. in the United Nations and among the countries of the world," he said.

Even so, the Palestinians left the door open for compromise. Malki said the Palestinians were ready to listen to suggestions from American envoys. And in New York, his UN ambassador, Riyad Mansour, said a decision on whether to pursue recognition in the Security Council, or seek a lesser, symbolic status in the General Assembly, had not been made.

"The final decision will be taken in the next few days as to which path we will follow," Mansour said.

In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney emphasized that negotiation with Israel was the only viable path to Palestinian statehood.

"The Palestinians will not and cannot achieve statehood through a declaration at the United Nations. It is a distraction and, in fact, it's counterproductive," he said, adding that "the only way to resolve the issues between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and to ultimately create a Palestinian state, is through direct negotiations."