Israel PM rejects any Palestinian ultimatum through UN

Israel PM rejects any Palestinian ultimatum through UN

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday rejected any Palestinian attempt to set an ultimatum for Israel to end its occupation of their lands through a UN Security Council resolution.

"We will not accept attempts to impose unilateral measures upon us by a set date, at a time when radical Islam is spreading throughout the world," he said, quoted by army radio, before heading for Rome to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The Palestinians on Sunday announced they would present a draft resolution to the Security Council on Wednesday setting a two-year deadline for Israel to withdraw from occupied Palestinian territories.

Kerry and Netanyahu were to meet later Monday to discuss the vote, with the US expected to veto the draft.

Netanyahu on Sunday already ruled out the possibility of a withdrawal from the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem.

European countries have been trying to cobble together a draft which would win consensus at the 15-member Security Council, with the new text simply calling for a return to peace talks aimed at achieving a two-state solution.

Previous rounds of US-brokered talks have failed, the most recent ending in April amid bitter recriminations from both sides.

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