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But public opinion about this latest step on the road to statehood is far from unified.
Some feel it marks a positive turning point in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, while others say it is little more than a political stunt.
And many fear the diplomatic campaign will be shot down by opposition from Israel and the United States.
"A state is the dream of every Palestinian, especially the youth, and we support Abu Mazen (Abbas) in this step," said Samar al-Bik, a 20- year-old student from the town of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, money changer Abed al- Karim al-Barghuti said he was backing the campaign to have a Palestinian state accepted as a member in the world body.
"Going to the United Nations is just one step in the Palestinian struggle, and I'm optimistic that we'll have large numbers supporting an independent Palestinian state," he told AFP.
Another Ramallah local, Mariam Abu Daqqa, said the membership bid would be a starting point for Palestinians to assert their rights internationally.
"It is just the beginning of getting our rights and making the world treat us with respect," the 24-year-old told AFP.
"I fully support it and I know it will be more than just a membership application, in terms of what will follow and its symbolic importance."
For others, the Palestinians simply have nothing to lose by asking the UN to accept them as a member state, with negotiations deadlocked for nearly a year.
"We don't lose anything by doing this because our land is already occupied by Israel and none of the international resolutions are being complied with," said Mohammed Zahir, a businessman in the oasis town of Jericho.
For Faisal Ghazi, the owner of an electronics store in Jericho, the request will mark "a real juncture for us as Palestinians in terms of the way Israel will deal with us if we get UN membership."
Many Palestinians expect the United States to veto the statehood request at the Security Council, but Ghazi said the bid was worthwhile nonetheless.
"Even if the US decides to use its veto, it will just expose the US bias towards Israel to the whole world," he said.
"I fully support this step," added Kamal Said Kamal, a civil servant from Jericho. "Even if the United States uses its veto we will be able to say that we tried to take our rights as Palestinians."
But others say US and Israeli opposition renders the bid a pointless exercise.
"I support going to the UN to get membership for Palestine but, on the ground, Israel is not going to give us anything because of the strong support it has from the US," said Mohammed Abu al-Khayr, who sells socks from a stall in Ramallah.
Qasam Hamayel, a 23-year-old sales manager at a computer store in the city, warned that a US veto would force the Palestinians to appeal to the General Assembly, which can only upgrade their representation.
"We'll get a non-state like the Vatican -- a state with no borders, no sovereignty, no legitimacy. This should have been thought through more," he said.
Nagham Muhanna, a student from northern Gaza, said even UN backing would not be enough to change the harsh realities on the ground.
"I don't see that there will be any change in my life, so how can you tell me that we have a state," she asked.
Mohammed Abu Barbakh, a taxi driver in central Gaza, agreed.
"I don't care about the state or all the talk about a state. It's empty talk; it won't put food on the table. What we want is to be able to feed our children and see the crossings open and have a real state and end the occupation."
But in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, women's rights activist Maysoon Qawasmi said the bid was a positive thing "regardless of how the vote at the Security Council turns out.
"It enhances the ability of the Palestine Liberation Organisation to defend the Palestinian people's rights by exercising their national legitimacy," she said.
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