The Palestinian Authority has initiated a process of application for UN membership ahead of the regular UN General Assembly meeting that would start on 20 September. The move was expected as the President of the PA, Mahmoud Abbas, had announced in March that they would seek the recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN in September. The article analyses the reasons behind this move, the possibilities for the PA if the US veto such a resolution at the Security Council and the possible consequences for the PA if the UN General Assembly recognizes the Palestinian state and/or upgrades its representation to a non-member permanent observer.