The UN speeches from Palestine and Israel last Friday apparently meant little to Americans, where media coverage of any kind has been scanty. Nevertheless a recent opinion poll from the Pew Research Centre shows that 42% favour the US recognising Palestine as an independent nation, with 26% against. Nearly a third (32%) expressed no opinion. The US veto obviously does not represent he American people, only the American elite.
Had they been able to see the numbers in the table below, it would have been impossible for Americans to have no opinion.
Population 5.5 million Jewish 11 million Palestinian(7M refugees)
Overall Land Controlled91.7%Israel 8.3%Palestinian
Military Personnel 175,000 0
Reserves 500,000 0
Irregulars 10-15,000 3-5,000
Tanks 3,800 0
Artillery 1,500 large 0
Warships 20-30 0
Submarines 6 0
Combat aeroplanes 2,000 0
Nuclear weapons 300 0
GDP $195 billion $4 billion
Military expenditure $10 billion Negligible
Killed (over 63 years) 6,000 75,000
Wounded 20,000 300,000
Abducted/jailed 30 400,000
Homes demolished 0 50,000
Refugees created 0 6,000,000
Obama has been vacillating between his own conscience, and the wishes of those pulling the strings. he, like so many others, has traded his own sense of justice for a seat at the top table - the outward show of power, the trappings, the posh dinner parties. It may be an uncomfortable presidency for him, but it is a good deal more uncomfortable for those who most needed the justice he promised.