(CNN) -- Last week Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas officially submitted the statehood request asking that the United Nations recognize "Palestine" as an independent state. But while Abbas's raising of the document during his speech drew applause at the General Assembly, the United States has already promised it will veto the Palestinian statehood bid at a Security Council meeting Monday. Why is this move happening now? The Palestinian Authority leadership says they are making the request for statehood now for a few reasons. Firstly, they argue that over the course of the past two years the Palestinian Authority has made great progress in building the infrastructure necessary for maintaining a sovereign state. They point to the various improvements in governance, security, and physical infrastructure as indicators of their readiness.
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Palestinians request U.N. recognition of "Palestine" as new member state
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U.S. holds veto power, has pledged to vote down statehood bid
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Israeli PM has rejected pre-1967 border lines as basis for Palestinian state
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Many believe move may worsen relations between Palestinian Authority and Israel
Beyond the potential response from Israel, the Palestinian bid at the @placeholder is risky.