Palestinian leaders officially relaunched the procedure to become a full member of the United Nations. Many observers are skeptical about the chances of seeing such an approach come to fruition.
Only a sovereign state can be admitted, which requires defined borders and administered by a unified government. It is likely that the United States will use its veto, says David Khalfa, co-director of the North Africa and Middle East Observatory and specialist in the Middle East. The Palestinian leaders want to take advantage of Israel's increased international isolation, says Amélie Feray.