The United States is working diligently to pressure the other members of the United Nations Security Council to vote against next week’s Palestinian bid for statehood, hoping to avoid embarrassment on the international stage by having to invoke its veto power.

The Palestinian Authority on Saturday warned that a US veto would destroy any hope for a two-state solution. Paradoxically, the US leadership has said for months that submitting a request for Palestinian statehood along the internationally recognized border would be counterproductive to the goal of a two state solution, although never offering an explanation as to how.

Before resorting to pressuring others at the UN to thwart a Palestinian request for full membership, US diplomats David Hale and Dennis Ross tried presenting alternative measures to dissuade the PA from making the request. Palestinian negotiators were unimpressed with their proposals.