The United States on Thursday torpedoed a U.N. Security Council statement drafted by Arab nations and aimed at putting pressure on Israel to stop military strikes on Palestinian targets.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the draft, even after three days of intense negotiations, "was disproportionately critical of Israel, and unfairly so, and needlessly so."

Palestinian U.N. Observer Riyad Mansour accused Washington of "shielding and protecting Israeli activities and aggression against the Palestinian people."

"It was obvious they did not want the Security Council to have a position," Mansour said.

Washington does not have formal veto power when it comes to council statements. But was able to block the draft single-handedly because council rules require that statements be unanimous supported by all 15 of its members.

Qatar, the council's Arab member, gave up the fight, was behind the criticism of Israel in the draft.

Asked by reporters to confirm that Washington alone had opposed issuing the statement, Bolton responded, "If I were the only holdout, I'd be proud of that fact."

'Security Council exercise in group therapy'

Qatar, acting on behalf of the Arab group at the United Nations, the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement of 112 nations, immediately requested an open council debate on the Middle East, which was scheduled for Monday afternoon.

"I don't see that that meeting is going to be productive, because I don't think the Security Council is an exercise in group therapy," Bolton said.

The draft statement, after three days of revisions aimed at toning it down, focused on Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel launched from Gaza and the escalation of Israeli response shelling of Gaza, which Israeli says was meant to end those attacks.

It urged both sides to comply with international law and to refrain from any steps that could escalate the situation.

It called on the Palestinians "to take a clear public stance against violence and to take firm measures to halt rocket attacks and suicide bombings." And it urged renewed action towards creation of a viable Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security.

Meanwhile, U.S. President George Bush signed a decree allowing representatives of the Palestinian Authority in Washington to continue to act for half a year. The step is automatic and has been taking place since the Oslo agreements, but it is especially relevant now against the background of Hamas rule in the PA.

Reuters contributed to this report