NEW : Rebranding comes amid efforts to unify rival Palestinian factions . Speech from Mahmoud Abbas to Palestinian Authority as the ` ` state of Palestine '' This comes after the U.N. upgraded the authority 's status to ` ` non - member observer state '' The authority had been classified as a ` ` non - member observer state '' until the vote .
NEW : Rebranding comes amid efforts to unify rival Palestinian factions . Decree from Mahmoud Abbas renames Palestinian Authority as the `` State of Palestine '' Change comes after the U.N. upgraded the authority 's status to `` non-member observer state '' The authority had been classified as a `` non-member observer entity '' until the vote .