The Palestinian Authority will submit a French initiative on ending Israel’s occupation to the UN if amendments are made to the text, foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki told Ma’an Tuesday.

Al-Maliki said he would meet with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Tuesday to convince France to accept suggested amendments to their bid to align it with the Palestinian and Arab positions.

He did not elaborate on the suggested amendments.

The PLO has said they will submit an Arab-backed draft text to the UN as early as Wednesday.

France is putting together a more nuanced version setting a two-year timetable for concluding a peace treaty, without mentioning the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

US officials told reporters Monday that Washington has not yet decided whether to veto or back the French-led UN initiative.

“There are certain things we would never support,” said a State Department official, without elaborating.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told AFP they were looking for “a resolution which everyone can get behind”.

“Even if the Palestinians have a text in their hand, the Americans have already said that they will veto it.”

(Ma’an and agencies – www.maannews.net)