U.S. warns against supporting Palestinians

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- The United States warned European governments against supporting a Palestinian bid for enhanced status at the United Nations, a memorandum said.

The communication, described by a diplomatic source as a "private correspondence," said the United States continued to work for a two-state solution, involving Palestine and Israel, and urged both parties to "avoid provocative one-sided actions that could undermine trust or otherwise distract from the pursuit of peace," the British newspaper The Guardian reported Monday.

The warning from the United States, given to European officials at last week's U.N. General Assembly, mentioned the Palestinians' eagerness to upgrade its non-member-state status in the United Nations to recognition of statehood, saying such a move would be "extremely counterproductive" and threatening "significant negative consequences" for the Palestinian Authority.