Morning in the West Bank city of Hebron.<br/> The mood here is upbeat, a day after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas - Abu Mazen - formally presented a bid for statehood to the United Nations.<br/> (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF HEBRON, MUSTAFA IMAM, SAYING:<br/> "I hope that we will have a state and we will be state number 194. President Abu Mazen (referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) had a proper speech yesterday and I hope that he convinced the international world that Palestine exists."<br/> Abbas called on the UN to formally recognize Palestine as a country - a move that comes amid stalled peace talks with Israel.<br/> While the push has received support in the West Bank, in the Hamas-ruled Gaza strip, people said Abbas should not beg for statehood.<br/> (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GAZA RESIDENT ANWAR HANIYEH, SAYING:<br/> "My message to Mahmoud Abbas is to go back to the people. What was taken by using iron will only return by using iron."<br/> In Israel, opposition to the bid was also strong.<br/> (SOUNDBITE) (English) HELGA ABRAHAM, JERUSALEM RESIDENT, SAYING:<br/> "You either win a war and create a state, or you negotiate. A piece of paper just will not help them (Palestinians), so its a joke."<br/> The bid has deeply divided the UN and the US has vowed to veto the measure.<br/> Andrew Raven, Reuters
