(JNS) Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid sent a letter to more than 50 world leaders calling on them to prevent a vote next month in the United Nations General Assembly on whether to task the International Court of Justice with issuing an advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s military presence in Judea and Samaria. He emphasized that should the vote go ahead, he expects Israel’s allies to stand alongside Jerusalem and vote against the resolution.

“This resolution is the outcome of a concerted effort to single out Israel, to discredit our legitimate security concerns, and to delegitimize our very existence,” wrote Lapid, according to a statement from his office.

He added that the status of the disputed territory should be subject to negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and that bringing the matter before the ICJ would contravene the principle of direct talks accepted by the international community, while playing into the hands of extremists.