The Palestinians on Thursday officially launched their campaign to join the United Nations as a full member state, saying they would stage a series of peaceful events in the run-up to the annual gathering of the U.N. General Assembly later this month, the Associated Press reported. Some 100 Palestinian officials and activists gathered at the U.N. offices in Ramallah to announce their plans in a letter addressed to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The letter urges Ban to add his “moral voice in support of the Palestinian people” and says the Palestinian campaign will include a series of peaceful events “in various international cities and capitals” leading up to the Sept. 21 opening of the General Assembly. Two days later, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas will address the gathering in New York and ask for admission to the United Nations. It remains unclear whether the Palestinians will turn to the Security Council or the General Assembly. Although the Palestinians say their campaign will be peaceful, Israeli military officials fear that mass demonstrations in the West Bank could turn violent.