WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ben Cardin (D-MD), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Susan Collins (R-ME), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Roger Wicker (R-MS), Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, sent a letter to President Barack Obama Monday opposing efforts to bypass direct negotiations and impose peace terms on Israel at the United Nations (UN) and other international bodies.

“We are committed to ensuring a viable two-state solution that would protect Israel’s security and ensure economic opportunity for Palestinians, but we oppose efforts to bypass direct negotiations and impose peace terms on Israel at the United Nations and other international bodies,” the Senators wrote in their letter to President Obama.

“The United States has been a stalwart defender of Israel against discriminatory actions at the United Nations. We must remain firm in opposing actions that are designed to circumvent direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Using the United Nations to push Israel and the Palestinians to accept terms defined by others will only ensure that the parties themselves are not committed to observing these provisions.”