Obama’s Mideast Visit:  Will he Rein in Israel's Gamble?

Unlike his immediate predecessors, US President Barack Obama seems to have made up mind firmly to pursue a balanced foreign policy across the world and all his actions till date confirms that international intent of him. President Obama is eager to reach all parts of the world with a message that is nuanced and thoughtful. With view to improve the tarnished image of his nation in the Islamic world, Obama has pointedly clarified his proactive role. President Obama will give a highly anticipated speech to the Muslim world in Egypt on June 4 in which he will seek to reach out to Muslims alienated by the previous Bush administration's policies. Restoring U.S. influence in the region is, therefore, vital as Obama seeks the help of moderate Muslim majority nations in the stand-off with Iran over its nuclear program.

If Obama is serious about improving relations with Muslims, he needs to show he is serious about pursuing a peace plan. Obama needs to go beyond his trademark soaring rhetoric and give solid details of how he plans to build better U.S.-Muslim ties. The White House has scotched speculation that Obama would talk about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and might use the speech to unveil a new Middle East peace initiative. The big question is whether he will follow in the footsteps of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who in 2005 used a speech in Cairo to press for democratic reforms across the region. But Obama is unlikely to upset his hosts and will be more conciliatory.

Promoting a more stable and prosperous Middle East with an independent Palestine state is in the USA ’s long-term national security and economic interests. Not only the Islamic world, but the entire world is attaching specific importance to his forthcoming message form Egypt . Osama’s speech is ostensibly aimed at the more than 1 billion Muslims worldwide, but the president of USA will likely focus on Muslims in the Middle East while making references to issues like Kashmir etc. He will use the speech to build on his earlier efforts to mend ties with the Muslim world that were badly frayed by the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the treatment of terrorism “suspects” in the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Arrogance of global state terrorism (GST) has to be controlled now.

Peace efforts in Mideast continue to engage the attention of Leaders in the region as well as Obama administration. President Obama has made clear that advancing Palestinian statehood would be a priority for his administration but has yet to say how he intends to do so. Several nations have brokered peace, but Israel made all fail. Egypt , like Washington , backs a two-state solution, while the new Israeli regime avoids the issue. Benjamin Netanyahu and Mubarak are also expected to broach Cairo ’s efforts to broker a new ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip in the wake of Israel ’s devastating war in December-January, which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians and many seriously injured. Egypt has urged Netanyahu to clarify his stance on the two-state principle.

 In his Jan. 20 inauguration speech, Obama said he sought a new way forward with the Muslim world "based on mutual interest and mutual respect," a phrase he repeated in a major speech during his visit to Ankara in April in which he also said the United States' relationship with the Muslim world could not simply be based on opposition to terrorism. He said then he would unveil specific programs to advance trade, investment, education and health in the region in the coming months. Obama also gave his first television interview as president to an Arab channel, and one of his first acts after taking office was to order the closure of Guantanamo prison.

On the eve of visiting Egypt for a policy speech, Obama has repeatedly said he seeks better ties with Muslim world. More importantly, Obama polls well in the region, better than the country he leads, and his election was greeted with relief by many who wanted improved relations with the USA . Most will be looking to see what he says about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. "People are anxious for him to succeed and chart a new path in this relationship," said Steve Grand, an expert on U.S.-Islamic relations. Many Muslims believe former President George W. Bush's policies in the region were biased in favor of Israel . They may also want to hear some mention of the United States ' own human rights record in the region.

A crackdown on government opponents Muslim Brotherhood politicians or on journalists ahead of Obama's visit would be hugely embarrassing for the president. Dozens of Brotherhood members have been detained and released in recent weeks but no more than usual.. Analysts say they expect the Egyptian government to be on good behavior, but Obama still faces the risk of being seen as endorsing President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981 and whose last election was marred by charges of vote-rigging and the arrest of his main opponent.

Many say, Indonesia , the most populous Muslim country and where Obama spent some of his childhood, would have been a better bet as it is a democracy, but it is not seen as representative of the Arab heartland of the Muslim world. The African governments are mostly authoritarian, but Egypt has already recognized Israel for trade purposes. Currently Egypt is mediating between Hamas and Fatah on the one hand and, PLO and Israel , on the other, for Mideast peace, though the one of the worst fascist Israeli holocausts took place in Palestine last year while Egypt was brokering the issue.  The Obama administration says it chose Egypt despite its poor human rights record because it is the "heart of the Muslim world" and that the speech is bigger than where it is given.

Middle Eastern leaders have listened to President Obama that he intends to achieve the peace deal that has eluded so many of his predecessors. Now they're about to find out just how hard he'll push to get it. International diplomats have speculated that Sunni Arab governments which fear Iran feel they need clear steps forward towards an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal in order for their nations to accept Arab backing of US-Israeli moves against a fellow Muslim nation. Israel exploits the situation to its own advantage. The Arab foreign ministers should also send their report on alleged Israeli crimes in Gaza to the International Criminal Court. The Arab foreign ministers will be discussing how to restart "serious and direct negotiations" between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Egypt ’s President Hosni Mubarak met the Israeli prime minister in the Red Sea resort Sharm al-Sheikh on May 11.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II opened the round of visits by Middle East leaders on April 21. This month, King Abdullah became the first Middle East leader to be received in Washington by President Barack Obama. King Abdullah stressed it was imperative the United States take a forceful role in resolving Israeli-Palestinian relations saying the USA is promoting a peace plan for the Middle East involving a OIC "57-state solution" in which the entire Muslim world would recognize Israel. The plan would offer Israel entry visas to every Arab country, the right of Israeli national airline El Al to fly over Arab territory, and the eventual recognition of Israel by all OIC members.

Israeli leader Netanyahu has also met the leaders of both Egypt and Jordan and is yet to make any productive compromise on Palestine issue. As of now, US administrations are famously reluctant to come to diplomatic blows with the country some describe as America ’s 51st (illegal) state.  If no progress was made, he warned, the region was facing a new war. Abdullah warned against using a “right-wing government in Israel ” to threaten Palestinians.  "I think we're going to have to do a lot of shuttle diplomacy, get people to a table in the next couple of months to get a solution." The meeting between foreign ministers is expected to underline the council's support for the Middle East peace process. It comes at an important moment with the US hard at work on a comprehensive peace strategy King Abdullah said Arabs seek results and close the never-ending talks. And that will be something that the world will expect to take place in the coming months.

The issue of Palestine was at the core of the both  the Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo in May and the 57-member OIC - Organization of the Islamic Conference held for three days in Syrian capital Damascus on May 22-25, 2009. Prior to the opening of formal meeting on May 23, the foreign ministers of 57 States would met on May 22, 2009 to have a joint look at the agenda which included Middle East peace process, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Islamophobia, terrorism, racial disputes among Muslims in a number of countries and a review of new charter for the organization which originally came into being on September 25, 1969 in Morocco. It also discussed evolving regional and international scenarios impacting on the Muslim world as a whole. On 2009, 7 May, Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo to formulate a united approach on the Middle East peace process. The meeting is the first since the election of the right-wing Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It comes ahead of a flurry of diplomatic activity in the coming weeks, focusing on the Middle East . The ministers are also to discuss a report on alleged crimes committed by Israel in the Gaza strip last January.

World is eagerly watching the next move of the Obama administration following Obama’s speech in Cairo for Muslim world. There have been clear hints so far about Obama taking a new posture on world peace which is entirely different from the usual US stance. But how far is Obama willing to push Israel to renounce its aggressive anti-Palestine stand and its bloody holocaust drive and drive it to agree it for a negotiated settlement with a new Palestine state emerging? Obama knows Mideast peace is key to world peace & prosperity and the USA under his presidency has to put an end to Israeli state terrorism and help the defenseless Palestinians establish their own state on their own lands - now under fascist occupation.  

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Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal

Independent Researcher in World Affairs, The only Indian to have gone through entire India, a fraud and terror nation,
South Asia.