A New Beginning with Muslims.

• Author: Jones, David T.
• Position: Barack Obama's foreign relation policies

A New Beginning with Muslims

By Barack Obama, President of the United States

Reviewed by David T. Jones, co-author of UneasyNeighbo(u)rs, a book on U.S.-Canada relations

Text: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/06/04/a_new_beginning_with_muslims_96831.html

Video: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/NewBeginning/

As one might have anticipated, President Obama's June 4 speech in Cairo was a masterpiece of well-researched, skillfully designed language consummately delivered. To be sure, there was some self-conscious "history" being constructed with his "outreach" to the Islamic/Muslim world; however, the potential for turning a very heavy page in recent history was obvious.

Consequently, the speech was long and ambitious. But the most proximate issues addressed were those of Israel-Palestine and Iran. And Obama's criticism of Israel and support for Palestinians was without precedent. His endorsement of Israel/U.S. relations as an "unbreakable" bond had a perfunctory air. In contrast, his lament for Palestinian suffering ("intolerable") appears more heartfelt. Previous U.S. criticism of Hamas was repeated, but muted. Every criticism of Palestinians/Hamas was balanced by one of Israel. Most striking was the statement rejecting the "legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements" and demanding they stop. These statements may be nuanced in practical application, but the rhetoric could be interpreted as requiring that all settlements must be removed. Additionally, the judgments decrying the human rights tragedy in Gaza left unmentioned the Hamas rocket terror attacks on southern Israel.

And the curious juxtaposition of Obama visiting Buchenwald (in Germany) while avoiding a visit to Israel can be viewed as a serious snub.

This approach is not going to be a winner in Tel Aviv.

Obama continues his effort to reach out to Iran (the "Islamic Republic") clearly hoping that the presidential election on June 12 will net us a more moderate Iranian president. This may be a forlorn hope, but results in deliberately moderate language designed to isolate the current Iranian leadership. But when Obama...