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Israel is concerned that it will soon face a wave of diplomatic pressure to agree to a timetable for establishing a Palestinian state.
The main worry is that the United States will give quiet backing to a French proposal that was presented to the United Nations Security Council three months ago and created with the help of the Palestinian Authority.
Another, similar proposal has been drafted by the government of New Zealand, which is now a member of the Security Council.
The proposals are the result of growing frustration within the international community over the stagnation of the diplomatic process and the perception that a probable right-wing Israeli government will do nothing to change the situation.
The proposals were drafted with the help of the Palestinian Authority, which is seeking to impose a two-year timetable for the establishment of a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders.
Israeli diplomats are concerned that such an initiative could receive the blessing of the European Union and that the Obama administration - which in the past has opposed the imposition of terms on Israel and instead pushed for direct negotiations between the two sides - would also give its tacit backing to the proposals by not vetoing them in the Security Council.
The Israeli concerns intensified on Monday following a speech by US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman. She warned that the Obama administration may not continue shielding Israel from such international initiatives. "It will be harder for us to stop the internationalization of the conflict. If the new Israeli government is seen to be stepping back from its commitment to a two-state solution that will make our job in the international arena much tougher."
