Palestinians vowed Thursday to seek full membership to the United Nations next week despite Israeli and U.S. objections, but left open the possibility of a resumption of Mideast peace talks.

Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki said President Mahmoud Abbas will address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23rd. He will then submit a request to the Security Council asking that an independent Palestine be accepted as a member state.

Al-Malki said Palestinians are still open to the renewal of any Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. But Israel continues to reject the key Palestinian demand for resuming talks: a halt to settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he, too, will address the U.N. General Assembly next week. But he said Thursday the leaders could “spare the trip” to New York and go the “simplest way” to resolve the situation by sitting down to peace talks.

American envoys have been shuttling between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an attempt to revive peace talks and forestall the Palestinian bid for statehood at the U.N.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Thursday that peace talks are the only way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He added that U.S. envoys will continue to push Israel and the Palerstinians back to the negotiating table.

Both the U.S. and Israel say unilateral steps are counterproductive and will not achieve peace. U.S. officials met with Palestinian officials on Thursday in the West Bank, a day after holding talks with Mr. Netanyahu.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday there will be “grave consequences” if Palestinians proceed with the U.N. bid, but did not specify what those consequences would be.

A bid for full membership for the Palestinians would be subject to a veto by one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, including the U.S., which has opposed the Palestinian plan and said it would use its veto power.

Palestinians could achieve non-member status by winning a simple majority in the 193-member General Assembly, where they enjoy strong support. Palestinians currently hold observer status at the United Nations.

Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters Thursday that Palestinians have been working for years to build institutions that would make it easier for them to quickly form a state.