AAP


The federal opposition has made clear it does not support a Palestinian bid for upgraded United Nations status.


Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants the UN to lift Palestine's status from observer entity to non-member state.


The federal government has not decided how Australia will vote when the application goes before the UN General Assembly, probably on Thursday.


But opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop says changing Palestine's status could hurt peace talks.


"At this stage it would not be helpful to a negotiated settlement with the Israelis and the Palestinians if that status were accorded to the Palestinians at the UN," she told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.


"We believe the parties must return to the negotiating table and seek a two-state solution and that has always been our position. Our position hasn't changed."


Prime Minister Julia Gillard reportedly opposes the Palestinian bid but others in the government have different views.


Israel's ambassador has made it clear he expects Australia to vote against Palestine.


Palestinian officials are pushing for the UN upgrade as a way of securing international recognition of Palestinian statehood, given the slow pace of peace talks with Israel.


But Israel says the move breaks a 1993 agreement not to make a unilateral declaration of statehood.


Australian Greens leader Christine Milne supports a two-state solution and hopes Australia will vote in favour of Palestine.


This would help bring attention to the importance of ending Israel's blockade of Gaza and for human rights to be respected on all sides of the conflict, she said.


Senator Milne will seek to move a motion in parliament on Tuesday to urge the government to support Palestine's bid.