i'm here at the kalandia checkpoint between jerusalem and ramallah and the situation is as want to tell and dangerous as it has been most up to date every so often is a sporadic outburst of violence the soldiers that are surrounding me right now and they're all dressed in full riot gear they surged forward and then the protesters behind me they respond by firing and throwing stones they didn't surge forward and they told us respond with tear gas now they have been tires burning throughout the course of the day there have been flayed going up in the sky and numerous ambulances driving past and picking up injured people this certainly is not a scene that either the palestinians all these raids would have wanted the palestinians are afraid that these waves will use that example of violence and any excuse to lobby international support not to support a palestinian bid for statehood the palestinians also concerned that these raids will intensify they places across the west bank and indeed we are hearing reports of israeli army doing precisely that but these clashes are not limited only to ra

for us in ramallah. excuse me of paula thank you very much for standing by for us are people who are certainly seem to be in high spirits today or how high the hopes that statehood could actually be achieved do you think. not only here in ramallah is being high for right across the way banking if the major bank from twenty thousand people have taken to speak to my left people where the schools closed early and medium businesses shut down i'm standing in hama now because we need to focus point of them i know and in this area the businesses they stopped in the restaurants happiness. and so that people can really celebrate what's almost a clone of the atmosphere now this does kick start three days of peaceful demonstrations that the palestinians on the spot says they will be holding in the run up to the palestinian president mahmoud abbas making there on friday for statehood at the united nations we've seen some of that such celebrations across the west bank in hebron there were an estimated seventeen thous

ramallah. so no to social political analyst. joining us from ramallah mr rather thanks very much speaking to jubilant crowd of upon his arrival home afterward a bus routes the beginning of the palestinian spring of course but it is likely to be vetoed by the us what is next for palestine in reality that. well i do believe that the palestinians have regained quite a lot of the things that they have lost of the past few months which is primarily an increase and intensification of the national identity there is now realize that the peace process and negotiations with israel have been futile and they felt that it was time to have it with things in our own hands and that's what precisely abu mazin did by going to be united nations and thereby save by stating if it can lead to the world that israel is not clearly and is not willing to have peace with the palestinians so we'll do it in our own way and we go to the international legitimacy for that that's the political side of it but of course there's the politics plays so does the trou

at the kalandia checkpoint between jerusalem and ramallah. all right that's what certainly were paula as they say look at these pictures now live pictures latest coming through to us of the our new center from ramallah where a palestinians are holding a rally ahead of the key speech to be given by mahmoud abbas any minute now and the general assembly as we've been mentioning from the top of the hour is already submitted that application for u.n. recognition of a palestinian state you can see how that news is being greeted a little bit later on tonight the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is due to speak later as well to be interesting to hear what he's got to say about all this is expected of course to denounce the move now if you want to keep up to date with the latest pictures we're streaming it on our web site out there in front of the latest live transmissions from our cameras the latest from the west bank of the u.n. general assembly for you will of course continue our coverage two of palestine's bid for independence holding sta

of palestinian state being declared a bus this point is a point that is reverberated here across ramallah and the rest of palestine and that is that two decades of negotiations between the palestinians and israelis have yielded nothing and hence we will see tomorrow the palestinian president approaching the security council having said that though it does seem as if a bass has bowed down to some kind of pressure because he will not be pushing the security council for a vote tomorrow and this has been criticized by some palestinians saying that he should be a vote as soon as possible now the french president nicolas sarkozy has also said that the united nations should accept the palestinian but the americans president obama was silent on this while tell us there was outright hostile of course and one of the things they tell of it is afraid of is that the palestinians once they have membership in the united nations won't have access to the international criminal court and such acts is will allow them to take the israelis to court over disputes over land over the way they've been treated ove

for us in ramallah. screws me up with thank you very much for standing by for us are people who are certainly seem to be in high spirits today or how high are the hopes that statehood could actually be achieved do you think. what that might throw at the not only here in ramallah are you seeing high spirits right across the way bank of this tomato that some twenty thousand people have taken to the streets of rome i let people talk of were the schools closed early and medium businesses shut down i'm standing in on an hour which is really deep toklas point of the myler and in this area the businesses the shops and the restaurants have been opened so that people can really celebrate with almost a carnival atmosphere now this does kick start three days of peaceful demonstrations of the palestinians understand that they will be holding in the run up to the palestinian president mahmoud abbas making their bid on friday for statehood at the united nations we've seen going to such celebrations across the west ban

so let's discuss this story for an author and i joined our life wrong ramallah by political activist nora. i thank you for joining us today so the palestinian president mahmoud abbas arrived home to crowds of his supporters here welcoming him after the historic bid for statehood at the u.n. but with a veto or excuse me the vote i should say has been delayed for several weeks so the u.s. pledging the time to veto it has anything actually been achieved at this point. well indeed first of all as the palestinian president said the power of palestine has been reborn the palestinian leadership headed by president mahmoud abbas is speaking for the people reflecting their aspirations and telling the international community that it is their moment of truth they must now decide on which side of history they stand and tell the palestinian people clearly whether they stand in support of their just claims in support of their rights to self-determination or against it as palestinians we have a very heightened sense of national pride at this moment and even though we know the veto is most likely co

in ramallah. where we really are more coverage on this developing news story throughout the night course the other big story i was about remark it's been a very volatile week completely closed the trees got the latest for a career for. things russia's markets saw a second consecutive session of steep losses on friday. of a new global recession raising the oil price and that's weighing on domestic equities. on the. it's been another dismal day at the for the russian markets there is no question about this today the my sex has declined by four point five percent yes by five point two zero but that's not just today it's of course the trend for the entire week over the whole week to already has lost a stunning sixteen percent under my six twelve point five so this is perhaps one of the worst weeks that we've had since the peak of the financial crisis in two thousand and eight two thousand and nine everybody has been saying that because the bears are not inside russia this is a response to the latest p

ramallah. political activists know today told us that r t the despite the impending veto palestinians regard the bit as a major breakthrough as palestinians we have a very heightened sense of national pride at this moment and even though we know their veto is most likely coming out we're very next week or the other it really makes no difference but there is a very high sense of national actually is meant at this point because for one south of those very disappointing years of the so-called peace process the political leadership and the popular popular public opinion are in line and they're in an on one side of the political debate if you will going back to negotiations is not something palestinians oppose on principle but if we go back to negotiations with our occupiers and that's what israel is without any terms of reference without israel clearly committing to international law clearly committing to its obligations according to international law and relevant u.n. resolutions then it's purely

ramallah. meantime palestinian officials have accused us of putting pressure on members of the un security council to keep them from voting in favor of a free palestine so that washington has king interview spare the embarrassment of having to veto it which could have disastrous effects for the credibility of america as a peace maker is more important i know reports from new york. it was a weeklong gathering of the world's most politically powerful people but not part of the united nations. the pursuit of peace in the imperfect world america's nobel prize winning president set an ideal tone as the sixty sixth session of the un general assembly opened yet at the heart of almost all diplomatic dialogue. demonstrations and media attention was the palestinian pursuit of official u.n. membership than its own with the arab peoples of term their quest for democracy in the arab spring the time is now for the palestinian spring the time for independence supported by the majority of u.n. member states pr

today here in ramallah it's the second day that thousands of people have taken to the streets right now at a gathering in the aisle mccotter which is where the former palestinian leader yasser arafat is buried they will continue with these peaceful protests of course most of it tension is on tomorrow when that vote is put forward at the united nations relations we're hearing is that the american president barack obama has an image with the palestinian president arafat now he to try to convince the palestinian president to drop the palestinian bid for statehood and not to take it to the security council tomorrow friday that he has failed to do that is what the american president was hoping is that the palestinians would rather just approach the general assembly and such a move would have been largely symbolic not as important as it would be approaching the security council but about saying that he's going to head to the security council despite the criticism from the american president what the american president was saying was that they need still this to be negotiations this is a posit

across one of those in ramallah where the palestinians are taking part in a mass demonstration of what is a. high to you are these protests looking they appear peaceful or something impressive show of support where you are what are they hoping to achieve. well there's a real saturday since here in the west bank city of ramallah there's a hell of a noise which is why it's difficult to get a question but it still is because only this morning wayne state government institutions have struck down and there are literally thousands upon thousands of people here on the streets you really get a sense of history in the making and those people that are being told to say that they feel proud and honored that finally decades of struggle have accommodated in a declaration of a palestinian state now there's a constant on the go there are people walking around holding flags there are pictures every way of all of the format palestinian leader yasser arafat as well as the current president mahmoud abbas there are people holding out slogans saying welcome palestine it's almost a foregone conclusion here

ramallah and for political activists no order told r.t. that despite the likelihood the u.s. will veto the statehood bid at the security council but it's seen it still regard pursuing its at the u.n. as a major breakthrough. as palestinians we have a very high concerns of national pride at this moment even though we know the veto is most likely coming very next week or the other really makes no difference but there is a very high sense of national achievement at this point because for once after those very disappointing years of the so-called peace process the political leadership and the popular public opinion are in line very new and on one side of the political debate if you will going back to negotiations is not something palestinians oppose on principle but if we go back to negotiations with our occupiers and that's what israel is without any terms of reference without israel clearly committing to international law clearly committing to its obligations according to international law and relevant un resolutions then it's purely pointless. liftin officials have accused the

celebrations wady have tics started here in palestine i'm in the west bank city of ramallah which is several hours now thousands of people have taken to the streets is really almost a carnival atmosphere here which is if the united nations bid is a done deal there was some of the celebrations happening in hip braun and in bethlehem and in a number of other cities across palestine talking to people here they say their decades of palestinian struggle has not resulted in palestine will be recognized by the international community now they want flags everywhere the posters of the film a palestinian leader yasser arafat is what is the current palestinian president mahmoud abbas and just about every building cars are going up and down the road shooting the schools have closed down the building the the government buildings have shut early and this really marks possibly at least we days of peaceful protest celebrations and commemorations across the west bank all culminating in that you were invited on side a talking to palestinians on the ground here there's a lot of anger being expressed na

massive rallies all across the west bank looking at live pictures right here not see these are from ramallah just a day before president abbas presents the plan before the international body moscow has the bid saying. right to put their case forward the u.s. tries to hold that presentation claiming it will veto the move unless palestinians and israelis launch. has details on this for us from new york. the issue that remains at center stage for those attending the united nations general assembly is the issue of the palestinian campaign for a u.n. membership and statehood is something that the majority of the general assembly does support but it's something that the united states has been speaking out against that the u.s. has threatened to use its veto in the security council because no sides palestine or israel are ready to return to the negotiating table but foreign minister lavrov did say that it is within palestinians right to ask for u.n. membership and the united states should not get in the way of aspirations for any country because of that the new plan the middle east quartet will not

ramallah. palestinian officials have accused the us meantime of putting pressure on members of the un security council to keep them from voting in favor of a free palestine but analysts say that washington is keen to be spared the embarrassment of having to veto the period which could be disastrous for us credibility as a peacemaker. as this war you know it was a week long gathering of the world's most politically powerful people but part of the united nations. pursuit of peace in the imperfect world america's nobel prize winning president said in an ideal tone as the sixty sixth session of the un general assembly open yet at the heart of almost all diplomatic dialogue. demonstrations and media attention was the palestinian pursuit of official u.n. membership. i just don't want the arab peoples affirm their quest for democracy in the arab spring the term is now for the police. and for independence. supported by the majority of u.n. member states president mahmoud abbas submitted an application

her stay here in ramallah there certainly is a lot of excitement ahead of tomorrow's palestinian vote for statehood wherever i go there are cars honking horns people are handing out brochures they're heading off because they waving flags everything with the basic message that the international community is welcoming its newest state palestine at the same time they were all spontaneous celebrations that have been happening throughout the day here in my life as well as in the rest of the west bank there have been celebrations and parties in numerous palestinian cities and states of being built that one behind me that will have huge t.v. sleeves way tomorrow when the palestinian president mahmoud abbas addresses the united nations palestinians will come to the streets in the hundreds of thousands to feel that a grace live but i have been talking to people here and mixed with the six days behind and it is a sense of anger and disappointment at the american president barack obama staunch they feel that his grades at the united nations yesterday was overwhelmingly in support of israel in fa

in the area for us in ramallah paula hello to you the protests looking to appear peaceful. display of over support that what the people hoping to achieve. all celebrations really have kickstarted here in palestine and in the west bank city of ramallah which civil hours now thousands of people have taken to the streets is really almost comical atmosphere here which is if the united nations but it is a done deal there was some of the celebrations happening in hebron and in bethlehem and in a number of other cities across the palestine talking to people here they say that dictates a palestinian struggle has not resulted in palestine fully recognized by the international community now there are flags everywhere it up posters of the former palestinian leader yasser arafat is what is the current palestinian president mahmoud abbas on just about every building cars are going up and down the roads hitting the schools have closed down the buildings the the government buildings have shut early and this really marks not the be at least we danes are peaceful protests celebrations and c

mark phillips is in the west bank city of ramallah. >> reporter: the regular demonstrations may look familiar, but this could be a fateful week in the conflict between palestinians and israelis, a week in which the palestinians tried to change the rules of the game. the new banner being waved in palestinian towns does not just call for an end to the israeli occupation. it called for the recognition by the u.n. of a palestinian state. now, even before the details that have stymied negotiations for years are worked out. palestinian president mahmoud abbas has resisted intense diplomatic arm twisting from the united states, and he insists he will go ahead and make the statehood application at the u.n. this week, an application the u.s. has described as a distraction from real negotiations. and which it has threatened to use its security council veto to stop. but for the palestinians who have seen negotiations stalled time and again while israeli settlements in west bank increase, the statehood dwam it is way -- gamut is a way to try to break the logjam. >> this makes a big difference. t

and israel thousands of palestinians have gathered in the west bank city of ramallah to show their support for. israel is suffering before from a u.s. supported arab spring key regional players like egypt and turkey turning away from israel as a loser support over foreign policy. and greeks accuse their government of being out of touch with the stark economic realities facing their country as e.u. leaders seek solutions to keep the nation from default and the i.m.f. has now worn the e.u. and us it faces another recession unless drastic measures are taken to cut spending . now as our palestine's bid for statehood at the united nations looms close world's eyes on israel we spoke to the former head of the israeli secret services army a young man who thinks that solutions to peace in the region do actually exist he shares his insight in our interview that is coming your way right. nothing i have going on and israeli politician and the former head of the same bit the israeli secret service thank you very much for joining us out on r.t. for several years now you've advocated a two state solution

september twentieth vote in the united nations they carried a letter to the local un mission in ramallah saying their peaceful demonstrations will clear up until power becomes a member state as are his policy reports the whole region is in a state of build up to the vote campaign will involve a series of events in the run up to the opening session of the un general assembly on september the trains here it has been dubbed the national campaign for palestine state one hundred and ninety four and to launch it someone hundred palestinian high ranking officials and activists gathered at the u.n. headquarters in ramallah for a short ceremony now both the israeli government as well as the obama administration is against the stipulation and the u.s. has sent a formal request to the palestinian president mahmoud abbas asking him not to go ahead with it but a bus has rejected as we are hearing some rumblings behind the scenes that israelis and palestinians have been in informally and in secret to discuss the possibility of disposing this declaration that we have no confirmation of this result next

is jerusalem israel ramallah is an administrative temporary capital of the west bank and gaza capable of functioning as a single state well they would be much more capable of doing so with the israeli occupation and the siege of gaza evidence and i think that's what's the theory orating the situation in gaza israeli siege by land by sea and by air and when that is over yes of course i think of that boost by. the. there were one people we have no ethnic differences. very very minor religious differences if you succeed on the independence vote which you use to access to the international criminal court course i mean if we become a even a one state member of the united nations we can be full member in the international criminal court international court of justice and in these organizations which are highly illegal you do not go and harass people by politics you have to have solid cases to go with i mean we if we become a member of the international criminal court and i hope we will that would be really our best defense against any further israeli crimes several people asked me like what

. >> ramallah central bus station. purely symbolic and to get these americans in trouble at israel's airports. but the local artist behind it is trying to make a point. >> these are our feelings. this is my big confession. this is for my freedom. to live with peace. i say welcome to everybody. welcome signs for everybody coming here. >> but the palestinian president, mahmoud abbas, hopes to get his state via a different route. at the u.n., where he says he will ask for the state to become a full member. mr. abbas says that it's in negotiations with israel have got the palestinians know where. this man took part in many of those failed talks. >> the peace process is not really going anywhere. the only option that we're left with is simply to go to the international community and ask for recognition of palestine on the borders of 1967. >> the palestinian-u.n. move will change a little on the ground. it will not turn the occupation, and israel will still control the borders. palestinians will need permission to pass throu

mission in ramallah saying their peaceful demonstrations will continue until palestine becomes a member state as artie's poorness their appalls the whole region is in a state of buildup to the. well the palestinian authority officially launched its campaign for statehood and in a formal written to the un secretary chief banki moon it urged the international body to recognize tellus fenians just demolished and what we understand is that the campaign will involve a series of events in the run up to the opening session of the un general assembly on september the twentieth it has been dubbed the national campaign for palestine state one hundred and one thousand and to launch its one hundred palestinian high ranking officials and activists gathered at the un headquarters in ramallah for a short ceremony of both the israeli government as well as the obama administration is against the stick aeration and the u.s. has into a formal request to the palestinian president mahmoud abbas asking him not to go ahead with it but a bus has rejected because we are hearing some rumblings behind the scenes

and received a standing ovation as he addressed the general assembly cheering crowds gathered in ramallah to give him a hero's welcome as you arrive back from new york addressing the rally he declared the beginning of the palestinian spring when he spoke to the u.n. assembly on friday jewel and seems played out across the palestinian territories but words quickly turned to violence on the west bank border culminating in clashes between police and palestinians are mid east correspondent paula has got the story . and historic movement after decades of struggle tens of thousands celebrated his palestine after president mahmoud abbas to the place to the united nations to recognize a palestinian state but as feared it wasn't all cheers alongside facilitations violence clashes have erupted across the west bank as fears grow of a third intifada we're here in ramallah where there is a standoff between the israeli army and palestinian protesters just a short distance down the road there are tires burning everywhere the army is going to using a new found device known as the scream at which unbearab

of today's historic palestinian application for statehood at the united nations there are here in ramallah thousands of people who are expected to take to the streets throughout the course of the day we're expecting celebrations carnivals and demonstrations throughout palestine but the focal point between the sea evening when the palestinian president mahmoud abbas gives his historic address to the united nations you really get a sense when you hear on the ground of history in the making it's hard not to get caught up in the importance of this moment now i'm standing here at the kalandia checkpoint the famous checkpoint between jerusalem and ramallah and for years this has been the focus point of demonstrations between palestinians and israeli army soldiers we are keeping an eye on events here because earlier this week there were clashes here but the palestinians have committed themselves to peaceful demonstrations where the focus is not so much on the palestinian side but on the extremists ypres who have written that they will be holding rallies throughout the course of today they say tha

ammunition that would put pressure on the way with the future palestinian capital gains here in ramallah and other capital and we is jerusalem the deal is jerusalem is free ramallah is and the streets of temporary capital on the west bank and gaza are capable of functioning as a single state well they would be much more capable of doing so when this raid occupation and siege of gaza evidence and i think that's what the theory of rating the situation in gaza the israeli siege by land by sea by air and when that is over yes of course of the government because the. it would run people we have do you know ethnic differences. very very religious differences if we succeed on the independence that we can use for access to the international criminal court. i mean if we become a even a one state member of the united nations we can be full member in the international criminal court international court of justice and in these organizations which are highly illegal you do not go and harass people by politics you have to have solid cases to go with i mean we if we become a member of the international

in the west bank city of ramallah, palestinians were jubilant. and we asked our alex marquardt, who lives and reports in the region, to take us inside it, show us just a moment of the celebration. >> reporter: diane, palestinians are calling this a moment of truth. a historic moment more than six decades in the making. thousands of palestinians have turned out across the west bank today to watch abbas' speech on big screen tvs like this one here in ramallah's yasser arafat square. they say that after two decades of failed talk with the israelis brokered by the united states, that enough is enough. they have to try something new. but many fear that little will change. and in fact, many are afraid that things could get worse under this israeli occupation. so, a big and controversial political maneuver and the big question now is, what happens next? diane? >> all right, alex marquardt reporting. we know what the palestinians are thinking tonight, but what about israel? less than an hour after abbas made his speech, israeli prime minister benjamin ne