[Peace-discuss] In Cairo, Obama Can Score With Changed U.S. Policies Towards Palestine and Iran

[Robert Naiman]

President Obama has the opportunity to make history in Cairo on
Thursday, the kind of history that President Eisenhower made when he
rebuked the 1956 invasion of Egypt by Britain, France and Israel.
Eisenhower's stand won tremendous goodwill for the U.S. in the Arab
world. If Obama stands firm on his policy differences with Israeli
Prime Minister Netanyahu, he can win tremendous goodwill for the U.S.
in the Arab and Muslim world.

In the run-up to the speech, Obama has opened space between U.S.
policy and Israeli government policy on relations with the
Palestinians and on relations with Iran. The degree to which Obama can
meaningfully differentiate the U.S. from the Netanyahu government in
terms of policy will be a key determinant of whether he can convince
Arab and Muslim audiences that the U.S. genuinely wants a different
relationship with the Muslim world than it had during the Bush
Administration.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/in-cairo-obama-can-score_b_210263.html

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/6/2/111941/0262


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Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org