Sunday, March 24, 2013

Assessing Obama's Middle East trip


Marwan Bishara answers three questions on Obama's recent trip to the Middle East.

Al-Jazeera

"What got your attention most about the visit of President Obama's to Israel and Palestine?

......With all that's happening right now with Iran, Syria and overall tension in the greater Middle East, I wonder how Obama can talk for so long and say absolutely nothing. On this visit, all we've seen are long speeches with dreamy language and no concrete substance......

Obama embraced the Zionist narrative about Palestine as the historic home of the Jewish people more than any American president that came before him. This rendered Palestinians - the indigenous inhabitants - guests in their own homeland.......


Obama's relations with Israel seemed to suffer over the last four years. Is that the reason for this visit?

........America's relationship with Israel has continued to thrive through heightened and, at times, unprecedented bilateral security and economic exchanges. As former Israeli Minister of Defence Ehud Barak put it, the relationship has never been stronger than under Obama......


Was the visit successful in this regard?

........Be that as it may, Obama's visit to the region, first and foremost, had a domestic objective. He has made it clear that his domestic agenda is the main priority of his second term. But to ensure a constructive political atmosphere at home, Obama had to avert a major Middle East catastrophe, with Israel at its heart....."

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