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Inside the US, you will soon hear the right-wing machine hammer Barack Obama for not supporting Israel - as Palestine is granted national recognition by the United Nations. Palestine won't become a member of the UN - that requires security council approval and no Veto - the United States has already promised a Veto if it came to that. Our best hope is that Palestine drops attempt to join the UN at this time.
But even if they don't join, they will push to be recognized as a country, like Switzerland was before it joined the UN and like the Vatican City is now. That means Palestine will be allowed to participate in UN functions and - more importantly to them - bring issues to the World Court. Israel's nightmare is having their generals being hauled in front of the World court by Palestine.
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It may surprise our non-US readers, that Barack Obama is seen as an enemy of Israel here in the states. In fact, there was just an election where a very Jewish Democratic population voted against the Democrats because of Pres. Obama's perceived policies. His statement that the 1967 borders should be the beginning of negotiations was seen as nearly traitorous here. Even though it is what everyone else has said, including Israel in the past.
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For Americans, might be a surprise to realize we are seen as enabling an abusive locally bully in Israel. Israel has nuclear weapons - and we look the other way. They have conducted covert remote air attacks against Syria, Iraq and Egypt in the past, and we have covered for them. They recently killed 8 Turkish citizens and 1 American citizen in the abortive blockade run, and refused to apologize for this. The US didnt' even raise a stink that they killed an American. So yeah, everyone else thinks we are the big bully to Israel's little bully.
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Peace negotiations collapsed between Israel and Palestine due to the internal politics of the parties involved. Israel politics is why they can't negotiate right now. Much like our Debt Ceiling crisis, the various factions of Israel's government are manufacturing reasons to not negotiate. These include an idiotic requirement before talks begin that Palestine recognize Israel as a Jewish Nation. Not a Democracy or a nation - the PLO has recognized that. This new requirement is a Jewish nation - which would put the1.3 million non-Jewish Israelis immediately as second class citizens. This would be like Egypt requiring the the United States recognize Egypt as a Muslim nation where the 1 million + Christians have no rights. No Arab nation will agree to that. Which is what the Israeli Parliament expected and then this gives them a reason to refuse talks.
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In much the same way that the US and Israel are "stuck", internal Palestinian politics prevent them from negotiating with Israel. Although the West Bank government is willing to recognize Israel as a legitimate government, the elected Gaza government, Hamas, can't bring themselves to admit Jewish Israels have a right to exist, much less run a government. Furthermore, neither the "governments" of the West Bank or Gaza is capable or willing to stop attacks against Israeli civilians.
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It is an area where one or two determined players can and do derail regional peace initiatives.
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But make no mistake, the status quo is about to change, and not for the good. This vote will lead to a lot of noise in America, and a huge loss of life in the Middle East. We will be less able to act as a good faith broker for peace. And our allies in the region have already warned us not to Veto the Palestinian request or risk access loss to bases that are critical to our missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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We are trying to head Palestine off at the pass, but the Israeli enablers in America have blunted our ability to apply pressure to the country. We will not use either stick or carrot to encourage peace from Israel's side, and if we are impotent with regards to Israel, we have no pull with the Palestinians.
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Israel stubbornness, supported by Republicans trying to score points off Obama, has already lead to the collapse of relations with Turkey. The democratic changes in Egypt have made Israel's neighborhood more tense. It will get ugly soon, and the absolutists have only themselves to blame. (But it may well serve the Evangelicals in America who believe that a MidEast War heralds the second coming.)
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