JERUSALEM
Former Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni on Saturday urged U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to veto a Palestinian draft resolution recently submitted at the U.N. Security Council to set a deadline for Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territories.
Livni, who heads Israel's centrist Hatnuah party, said she was "proud" of her "success" in protecting Israel's vital interests in the Security Council, according to Israel Public Radio.
Foreign Policy Magazine, meanwhile, quoted unnamed sources as saying that Kerry had told European envoys that Washington would not allow any draft resolution on the Middle East peace process to pass in the Security Council before Israel's general election, which is slated for March of 2015.
"Kerry explained that Israel's liberal political leaders, Shimon Peres and Tipzi Livni, had expressed concern that a Security Council move to pressure Israel on the eve of election would only strengthen the hands of Israeli hardliners," the magazine said.
On Wednesday, Jordan filed on behalf of the Palestinians a draft U.N. Security Council resolution in favor of setting a deadline for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories by the end of 2017.
The draft resolution seeks "a just, lasting and comprehensive peaceful solution that brings an end to the Israeli occupation."
If put to a vote, the motion requires a "Yes" vote from at least nine of the 15 Security Council members to pass.
It can, however, be vetoed by any of the five permanent members of the council, which include the U.S., a staunch ally of Israel.
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