Palestinians rally for statehood

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Thousands of people rallied across the occupied West Bank as Palestinian leaders pressed a bid for statehood at the United Nations.

Palestinians in Ramallah waved signs and banners in anticipation of a unilateral initiative before the United Nations to seek statehood despite opposition and pressure from Israel and the United States, Ma'an news agency reported.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he will submit a formal application to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday.

Fatah Party leader Mahmoud al-Alul hailed Abbas' pressing for statehood despite opposition from the United States.

"It has become evident that the only person who dares to say no to the U.S. nowadays is the Palestinian president ... and other Palestinian leaders," Alul said.

"Yes, we want to change the rules of the game because we spent a long time in negotiations, and we made every possible effort to achieve just and honorable peace," he said. "This Israeli government is not one that seeks peace, but rather seeks settlement expansion and seeks to satisfy settlers. To them we say that our top priority is the interests of our people."

U.S. President Barack Obama was scheduled to meet with Abbas Wednesday after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Obama has called for negotiations to resume using the 1967 borders as a starting point for discussions of developing a Palestinian state.

Negotiations have been under way at a furious pace as European diplomats and the Middle East Quartet -- the European Union, the United States, the United Nations and Russia -- try to avoid a confrontation. Sources close to the negotiations told Ma'an one possibility was trying to buy time to get direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks going again after being stalled since last September.