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Palestinians celebrate in the West Bank city of Ramallaha on Nov. 29 after the U.N. General Assembly voted to recognize Palestine as a non-member state.

By NBC News and wire services:

The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution on Thursday giving implicit recognition to Palestinian statehood despite threats by the United States and Israel to punish the Palestinian Authority by withholding funds for the West Bank government.

A resolution that lifts the Palestinian Authority's U.N. observer status from "entity" to "non-member state," like the Vatican, easily passed the 193-nation General Assembly with 138 nations voting in favor, with 41 abstaining, including the United Kingdom. Nine were opposed. Full Story

Marko Djurica / Reuters

A Palestinian man shouts slogans during a rally in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Nov. 29 to support a resolution giving implicit recognition to Palestinian statehood.

Andrew Gombert / EPA

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, center, Palestinian Foreign Minister Reyad al-Maliki, right, and other members of the Palestinian delegation react after a United Nations vote on a resolution to upgrade the status of the Palestinian Authority to non-member observer status on Nov. 29.

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Mohammed Ballas / AP

Members of the Palestinian security forces arrange Palestinian flags on coffins containing the remains of bodies of 91 militants transferred from Israel to the Palestinian Authority, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on May 31. Israel transferred the bodies in an effort to induce Palestinian President Mehmoud Abbas to renew negotiations. Palestinian officials said all were killed either while carrying out suicide bombings or other attacks on Israeli targets.

Abbas Momani / AFP - Getty Images

Palestinian women mourn during the funeral of 91 Palestinians whose remains were returned by Israel at the Palestinian headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah on May 31. Israel handed over the remains of scores of Palestinian militants killed in attacks against Israel, a Palestinian official said.

Reuters reports -- The remains of 91 Palestinian militants whose attacks killed hundreds of Israelis over the past 35 years were returned to the West Bank and Gaza on Thursday in a gesture Israel said it hoped could help revive peace efforts. Palestinian leaders, however, signaled no shift in their refusal to negotiate as long as Israel continues building settlements on land where they hope to establish a state.

The boxed remains of 80 militants were transferred to coffins draped in the Palestinian flag for a solemn ceremony at the official compound in Ramallah of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Read the full story: Palestinians honor dead returned by Israel.

Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / Reuters

Palestinians carry a flag-covered coffin containing the remains of a Palestinian militant outside a hospital morgue in Gaza City on May 31. The remains of 91 Palestinian militants whose attacks killed hundreds of Israelis were returned to the West Bank and Gaza on Thursday in a gesture Israel said it hoped could help revive peace efforts.

Ilia Yefimovich / Getty Images

A Palestinian flag is draped over one of the coffins as Israel returns the corpses of 91 militants, in the Police camp on May 31, in Ramallah, West Bank. The militants, killed during anti-Israeli attacks, were returned despite objections raised by Almagor, a group representing Israeli victims of Palestinian attack. According to officials, some of the militants were killed over 40 years ago. Twelve of the bodies were returned to Gaza.

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Julien Goldstein

Ramallah, Palestine. May 2011.
At the outskirts of Al-Manara Square, Ramallah's main square, young people from the new Palestinian middle class drive around in expensive cars.

The work of French photojournalist Julien Goldstein on the Palestinian city of Ramallah drew our attention because it shows a side of the West Bank that is not always seen in the Western press. While points of conflict – border checkpoints, Israeli settlements, and a crippled economy – often attract cameras, Goldstein sought better understanding of this area by looking away from the “news” and covering everyday life.

The Palestinian territories are back in the global news this week. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas plans to request full membership to the United Nations as an independent state when the General Assembly next week – setting the stage for a diplomatic clash with Israel and the United States. Read more.

Goldstein worked extensively in the Middle East, but hadn’t previously focused on Israel and Palestine because “I thought everything was already done on this country,” he said. But last year, he decided he could do something different. He wrote in an email to msnbc.com: “I wanted to work deeply in this country, to understand people and life apart from the conflict. How do they live, what do they think, what are their jobs? It was a quiet situation there so I could work out of the news.”

Goldstein continued: “I decided to start with the settlements in East Jerusalem. While I was there working with the settlers and the Palestinians I started to hear a lot of things about Ramallah, how they are building a de facto capital, the nightlife there, the growth of the economy.”

He and writer Constance de Bonnaventure traveled to Ramallah and found a city full of energy. “Of course there is this nightlife, the gym clubs... But moreover there is this Palestinian youth which is well educated in major American universities. There is this city which is full of energy, there are discussions in a cafe around a pizza! I was impressed. … But we had to be careful. Of course it's impressive but we can’t forget all of the problems the Palestinians face due to Israeli control. The economy is increasing but is it really a sustainable development?” Goldstein sought new understanding, but he also found new questions raised by taking a look at daily life.

Goldstein recalls an experience from early in his reporting that opened his mind to looking outside the “news.” He wrote:

“I was there during the reconciliation of Hamas and Fatah which was extremely important news. I thought that people are going to demonstrate. I went to the central square in Ramallah and saw something like 100 journalists and 20 people demonstrating. I then understood that the Palestinians are like other people, of course they will fight for their rights but they also want to live a normal life. It was the perfect illustration of my story. We can understand this country not only by covering the news but also by covering usual stories.”

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