Palestinians among harsh critics od US

A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds that US foreign policy continues to receive heavy criticism around the world, even though in 13 of 19 nations most people say they have confidence in President Obama to do the right thing in international affairs.

The Palestinians are among the most critical.

The Palestinians have the largest majority lacking confidence in Barack Obama to do the right thing in world affairs and are among the largest majorities that say the US abuses its greater power to get them to do what it wants. While a majority sees the US as hypocritical for promoting international laws but not following them itself, fewer hold this view than in the previous year and a significant number agree that the US does set a good example by following these laws.

• A majority of Palestinians (67%) say they have little or no confidence in Barack Obama to do the right thing in world affairs – only one-third (33%) express confidence.
• A large majority (87%) says the US abuses its greater power to get them to do what it wants.
• 61% see the US as promoting international laws for other countries but also as hypocritical because it often neglects to apply the same rules to itself (down from 72% in 2008) — though a significant minority (37 percent) say the US sets a good example by following international laws itself, up from 27% in 2008.

Israel was not among the countries polled, but we have spoken about Israel's diminished trust in the Obama administration given the increased pressure on Israel to acquiesce to its own destruction.

Despite the Administration's increase of pressure on Israel, the Palestinians are not responding favorably to America.