The usual suspects

Erik Voeten has a post at The Monkey Cage about the UN vote on Palestinian statehood, specifically on the probable ways that specific countries will vote. On one point I have to disagree in part.

So what do we learn from this? A first conclusion is that it would be wrong to suggest, as so often happens, that the U.S. is alone in its almost unwavering support of Israel. At least, Nauru, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia follow the same course.

As soon as I read that, I thought of Cuba. The votes of these very small states have nothing to do with Israel. They have to do with voting with the U.S. no matter what. Year after year, countries vote overwhelmingly to condemn the U.S. embargo.  And which tiny handful of states vote against or abstain? From 2010:

The final vote by U.N. member states was 187 in favor of ending the sanctions, with two countries — the United States and Israel — in favor of keeping them. The Marshall Islands, Palau and Micronesia abstained.