Obama's Hazy Mideast Policy Reboot

Eli Lake reminds us that this is the same president who as a candidate said he would sit down to talk with dictators. Now he is telling them they must go. But how? Even with regard to Libya, where the US is fighting a war, the speech was strangely vague about what the US itself will do. The real message here concerns what Middle Easterners cannot expect from the US, and especially what the Palestinians cannot expect. The current Palestinian plan to get a UN General Assembly vote in favor of independence in September and then to use that as a basis for a propaganda-legal campaign against Israel will not meet with US support. The inclusion of Hamas in the Palestinian unity government creates problems for the Palestinians that it is up to the Palestinians to resolve. And Obama accepted the Netanyahu view that the true problem between Israelis and Palestinians is not the exact drawing of any future border, but the securing of Israel within whatever border may be drawn.

There is scarcely a line in the speech for me to disagree with, very unlike the president's Cairo speech of 2009.  But what matters are not the absence of disagreeables, but the vagueness of future US purpose. It's welcome for example that the president praises religious freedom in the region, and calls out Islamists who would use democratic means to anti-democratic ends. But are these mere expressions of opinion? Or will they have policy meaning?

Posted at 1:23pm

The idea that the real issue between Israel and Palestine is demilitarization and security, not borders is exactly what Netanyahu has been saying for years.

Posted at 12:55pm

I think Obama just told the Palestinians to forget the attempt to use a UN declaration in September as a basis for endless further action against Israel.

Posted at 12:51pm

Blames Palestinians for walking away from talks - good.

Posted at 12:49pm

For a shariah socialist, Obama strangely emphatic about rights of women and free trade.

Posted at 12:47pm

Here's the most important thing in the Obama speech so far:

He is speaking out against Islamists who try to use the democratic system for undemocratic ends.

Posted at 12:41pm

This is impressively candid on Bahrain: how much better would Middle East situation be if we had spoken up in this way about Egypt in 2005?

Posted at 12:36pm

2009 Iranian repression not forgotten: good.

Posted at 12:34pm

This is like a GW Bush speech, with the excesses intelligently edited.

Posted at 12:33pm

Glad to hear the Damascus and Tehran reference in praise of self-determination, freedom and equality for men and women.

Posted at 12:29pm

Similar to but subtly different from the 2005 Bush second inaugural, with greater emphasis on economics and an eschewing of flowery language.

Posted at 12:28pm

This economic passage is welcome, especially the descriptions of how authoritarian regimes divert resentments to Israel and the West.

Posted at 12:24pm

This practice of reciting familiar facts bulks out presidential speeches for no discernible reason.

Posted at 12:21pm

The president refers to "after years of war" - after? What do we call Libya?

Posted at 12:18pm

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