How Obama Can Address the Middle East

President Obama's trip to Saudi Arabia this week to meet with King Abdullah has raised the expectations of Arabs so high that Obama might set himself up for failure.

Obama's five-day swing through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany and France promises to engage the worldwide Muslim community "based upon mutual interests and mutual respect." The White House says he wants to share common goals to fight Islamic extremism and develop a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Already Obama has gone to extraordinary lengths to assure Muslims that the United States is not its enemy. He has put his Muslim credentials on the table, noting his background and the fact his father was a Muslim. He has opened the door to Iran for meaningful dialogue. He wants to celebrate our commonality, not our differences

It's not as if I haven't heard these promises before. President Bush certainly considered himself a friend of Muslims when he wasn't railing against Islamofascism. And his "road map" for peace looked pretty good on paper. I must admit, though, that expectations among Arabs and Muslims were not particularly high with Bush.

Obama, however, is going to have a tough act ahead of him. While his Cairo speech is highly anticipated in the Middle East, there is a whiff ceremonial grandstanding on his itinerary. He will visit Buchenwald to remember Holocaust victims and then on to Normandy to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day. I'm sure that some Saudi ministers will persuade him to join in the traditional Saudi sword dance in Riyadh. It didn't do much for Bush's image, so let's hope Obama pulls it off.

This potential glad-handing makes Arabs nervous and annoyed. It's fine to engage in this protocol and unite the Ummah with an emotional speech. Saudis also appreciate that Obama has chosen Saudi Arabia, the land of the two holy mosques and the heart of Islam, to discuss the Arab agenda before speaking in Cairo. It's a positive step towards reconciling with Muslims.

But Arabs expect substance right out of the gate. The primary issues of Middle East peace, as far as the U.S. is concerned, seem to be shifting away from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and moving towards dealing with Iran's nuclear ambitions, routing the Taliban and stabilizing Iraq.

Yet these three issues simply treat the symptoms of the chaos in the Middle East and not the disease itself. For the Muslim on the street, everything starts with Israel. The saber-rattling we see between Israel and Iran is based on each country's perception of security. Israel's nuclear arsenal and its behavior in Gaza strike genuine fear in the region. If Obama wants to make an impression, he must focus on the core issue of Israel and Palestine. The ripple effect of Palestinian statehood and the right of return will help the U.S. deal with Iran, Iraq and the Taliban.

But now there is talk among Western diplomats that modifications might be sought in the 2002 Arab Peace Plan, which guarantees Arab recognition of Israel if it returns to its 1967 borders and gives Palestinians the right of return. The right of return seems to bother a lot of Westerners and Israel due to internal security concerns. But Arab leaders are not willing to negotiate this aspect of the plan.

Arab leaders rather see pressure applied to Israel to curb its destructive behavior. The habit has been to pressure Arab leaders to behave because the U.S. views the conflict through the lens of Hamas and Hezbollah's conduct. To the West, Hamas lobbing rockets into Israel is not conducive to peace. No, it's not. But neither is the Israel Defense Forces latest incursion into Gaza that left more than 1,000 civilians dead and many more homeless. If Arab leaders are to be held accountable for the actions of Hamas, then the same must be done with Israel. Arabs have given a lot of ground in the past two decades, primarily in watching Israel face international condemnation for its actions, but not held accountable in any meaningful way.

Israeli lobbyists have worked long and hard to protect Israel's interests, as they should. But it doesn't mean that Americans must capitulate to Israel under the threat of anti-Semitism.

If Obama is to reach Muslims, then he must risk this threat, knowing the American public will recognize that such charges are specious, and solve the Israeli-Palestinian issue. He should worry less about negotiating modifications in the Arab Peace Plan and more about how to get a recalcitrant Israel to move towards peace without it alleging anti-Semitism at the drop of a hat.

What Arabs are looking for in the Cairo speech and the visit to Riyadh are tangible statements from Obama that he understands the Arab point of view, willing to convey that message to Israel, and demand that Israel step up to the plate and show some movement to get the plan approved. A timeline that is enforced and doesn't collapse after the first hiccup from Hamas or the next outrageous statement from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a vital component to Obama's road to peace.

Comments

[MIKEinNYC]

I hope Obama asks this so-called king who elected him king and how is it that he has any legitimate claim to power.

[ilak]

By mobayaa of 1925 & renewed at accession.

[Derelict outlaw]

Do you understand that Sabria could not be publishing anything without the endorsement and or sponsorship of the Royal Family?

If President Obama really wants to endear himself to the Arab world he will call for self determination regime change (Tear down this Wall!) and democracy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and not continue to prop up this corrupt abomination the creation of the oil companies to ensure an uninterrupted supply while imprisoning millions of Muslims in the land of the two most holy shrines of Islam.

[Californian2020]

Well-said!

[alexa07]

Thanks, Sabria, for expressing your views even though the predictable detractors will attempt to sideline the discussion by attacking you, your society & your religion. I also appreciate that the Huffington Post is a forum for all viewpoints. For too many yrs. voices such as yours have not been available for most Americans to hear, or to respond to in any way because our media leaders have blocked them. Now Americans can get around the old blocks in any number of ways, & the corresponding changes in American public opinion on Israel can attest to it.

[Derelict outlaw]

I really appreciate hearing from a Saudi woman on this issue and think this is very important post and information. Shugrun Sabria, but....

Why not touch on the outrageous and obvious 800 lb gorilla in the room?

The leader of the "Free" world attends to and respects and glorifies the leaders of a terrible monarchical theocracy?

The "ruling" royal family represents less than 30,000 people in KSA. Milions of Saudi's would not have this be the case, but are not permitted to say so, if they ever want to go home again. They even risk assassination abroad in exile if they are quoted as saying anything to the contrary.

Millions of Americans do not understand that this revolutionary fervor in the KSA is responsible for the alienation of OBL and the reason why he was able to recruit his "pilots" from young disenfranchised Saudi's How does it help the middle east to have the President appear to endorse this corrupt regime that so benefits Halliburton and terrorism?

[Godweiser]

Exactly. We support despotism in the middle east in order to facilitate greater profits for corporate entities (in bed with elements of our own government at the highest level in the past) without regard to whether or not we are alienating the people in those countries in the process. It's no surprise that Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri started out in anti-government movements in their own countries.

We need to reconsider our support of despots while we make calls for freedom and democracy, or continue to look like hypocrites. We have a similar track record and legacy in Africa and particularly South America and it has done us little good in the long run.

So long as we continue along without realizing what the catalyst for these movements is, we will continue to apply ineffective solutions; treatment of an incorrect diagnosis is a waste of effort. We need to address root problems in these countries, such as why movements like Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood find so much popular support, and understand that most of these detested regimes are kept in power by the guarantee of our firepower. Thus, we are blamed for their excesses.

[middleoftheroad]

I appreciate your points Sabria, but your solution is for the Muslim Middle East to get everything they want and then Israel could live in peace. You make the Iran issue simple misunderstanding on each other’s security interests.­..BUT, is Israel screaming to wipe Iran off the map? They have had the bomb or access to it for 25 years, have they ever used it? When the leader of Iran yells EVERYDAY that Israel should be destroyed and then push for nukes, why should we in the West be open minded about that? You all make it sound like there were never Jews in the Middle East. That Israel and Jews were ALL shipped in from war torn Europe...M­aybe if they were not running for their lives a few thousand years ago, Egypt would have a huge Jewish population.

AND, your last bit of posting says it all..."A timeline that is enforced and doesn't collapse after the first hiccup from Hamas..." HELLO, a hiccup...t­hat’s a new way of saying blowing up some people at a cafe!

[Foxrun]

You are exaggerating as if the rest of us are ignorant. First the President of Iran never said "wipe Israel off the map" for him to yell it out every day!! Iran does not have nukes but Israel does! Iran has not invaded nor occupied any country, but Israel has! Iran is not a threat to any country, but Israel is!!

[plaidsportcoat]

ahem. iran has been proven to be behind bombings in argentina, at the very least...

[Clavis]

I think, to be fair to Muslim women, Muslim men should have to start wearing clown suits, Groucho glasses and Viking helmets. After all, Muslim men showing their faces and hands and eyes is incredibly disrespectful and promiscuous. If Muslim women are expected to cover themselves in order to shield defenseless men from being forced to sexually assault them and bring shame upon the woman's family, the least men could do is make a similar sacrifice and dress like idiots.

Isn't it strange how the world's religions always demand that women cover themselves and behave like second-class citizens?

[jsladder]

Good point Clavis. Fair is fair.

[Derelict outlaw]

The level of ignorance regarding the fundamental Saudi culture is evidenced in your post.

The roots oof the traditional garb for Bedouin tribes is to maintain the social order of small family groups that had to travel in real proximity and intimacy of co-dependence yet remain apart, simply that. It persists today because Saudi women want it to. Who do you think runs the Saudi household? Who runs yours? Women, duhh.

Even the Catholic church in the most conservative areas of the world still requires women to cover their "crowning glory" (their hair) while worshiping or when unaccompanied by their husbands.

[plaidsportcoat]

a woman's place is in the house - and the senate

well-behaved omen rarely make history

hats if you like - hair if you like

none of your business if i'm married or not until you know me better.

etc

[MIKEinNYC]

That's because men write the rules. Fair? I think not.

[calvinjones]

I will appreciate corrections on this, but it is my reading that the full-covered dress of females is pre-Islamic, which is in any case 547 CE (common era, or A.D. to my Christian friends). Still, the issue stands. What is the stated purpose, is it in the Koran or the Sharia, or just tradtion?

[JScott]

As other commenters have noted religious stuff has to be taken out as it foster an all or nothing mentality, cause frankly as I see it arabs and jews fight each other all the time because it's 'my way or the highway' and after all that crap, they really don't know what they want.

[Foxrun]

You are wrong. First of all Arabs are not fighting Jews every day! If you are speaking about Israel and the Palestinians - there is a reason - Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories illegally and continues to confiscate more and more land giving the Palestinians absolutely no rights of any kind. Let's see if you can live under such a circumstance.

[loOranks]

Arabs have been fighting Jews long before the establishment of the state of Israel... Believing that resolving the Israelo-Palestinian conflict will allow Jews to live peacefully side-by-side with Muslims is day dreaming..­.

[indiamerican]

Thank you for speaking up Ms.Jawhar. It is wonderful to hear a world view from a Saudi woman. Obama however is not responsible for the expectations that Arabs and other world populations have placed on him. He cannot dramatically change things between Palestine and Israel. All he can do is slowly nudge the direction of the dialogue so change can happen in the future. The fundamentalist Jews and the fundamentalist Muslims are never going to give in to each other's views. Our only hope is that there is an underlying silent majority of rational minded people in the region who truly understand tolerance and mutual respect.

[Foxrun]

America has made itself a broker to settle the Israeli-Palestinian issue. So, yes, Obama cannot remove himself from this. Second of all U.S. foreign policy with respect to the Middle East is directly being influenced by the Israeli Lobby which is supported by majority of US representatives in both the Senate and the House. The US is supplying, financing, and providing the military arsenal which is used by Israel to kill the Palestinians. US and Israel are the only two countries which continue to vetoe the "final status" resolution which comes up to the General Assembly every year for a vote. As such, I don't know how you think the US can remove itself from this issue. In fact it would be great if the US was really an honest broker, it it was this issue would have been solved years ago. Israel has gotten away with murder, and illegal land confiscation with impunity only because the US has allowed it to do so.

[plaidsportcoat]

Hey - it's not only the fundamentalist Jews who cause problemas. Lots of Zionists were/are not necessarily fundamentalist. however, it IS all about religion, whatever the level of fundamentalism, whether reform, conservative, orthodox, ultra-orthodox. it's all a decision to be separated from other people by your belief system. i'll never buy that system, no matter which religion.

[Yermammy]

Obama runs the risk of failing here FIRST.
An ALARMING development has occurred. The Senate has quietly passed a Bill that will take secrecy and flagrant ignoring of the rule of law to new levels. This bill will retroactively excuse all photos from the past and BAR ALL FUTURE PHOTOS of torture and detainee abuse. Remember FISA? DITTO! 

**Obama's support for the new Graham-Lieberman secrecy http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald//greenwald/

You MUST read this to understand how outrageous this Bill truly is (just look at the sponsors if you doubt my word). As of YET, this isn't included into the House version, but for anyone that remembers the Kabuki Theatre of Nancy Pelosi acting all "outraged" over the FISA Bill only to cave and pass it, this will be a very bad reminder that Congress is just enabling a totally lawless and unitary executive power.
Unl­ess we ACT NOW, this amendment will be quietly inserted in the House Bill in Conference and then sent to the White House for CERTAIN APPROVAL.
­
I was truly impressed with Barack and through our help he became our President, but he's backing away from his "Change" meme so fast it's terrifying. Liberty is going to take a HUGE hit IF this passes!

[Inquisitr]

If you don't have anything to say on the matter, and you're just herre to pump up your own eprsonal cause, please go elsewhere.

this is for actual conversation.

[Marnie1]

"has raised the expectations of Arabs so high that Obama might set himself up for failure."


It would be Arabs who are creating false expectations who would be the failures.

What is the value of the rest of the article went it begins with such a claim that is so lacking in logic, and which predetermines Obama's failure on the strength of that failed logic?

[Inquisitr]

I'm all for peace between countries and all, but as long as Islam guides these countries, there will never be the peace you all seem to think is possible.

Women's rights, to just begin with, even when you look at one of the msot "Modern" islamic states, Saudi Arabia, you can see how the tenets of that religion make life into a state no American would ever truly be happy with.

It's honestly embarassing how much we give to Saudi Arabia and the others to be our friends, when you're not. Your lives are highly immoral.

Our side could lose a lto less religion to, but that will always be the problem here.

Their religion, which is absolutely important to the Arab world, is so contrary to American values and rights that the only way there can be peace is to Secularize the arab world till religion is a vast minorty.

[Yermammy]

What a hypocrite. A religious zealot just assassinated a doctor and you're casting stones. THIS country is just as fanatical as any other one in the WORLD. Grow up, youngin'.

[Inquisitr]

Hence the "Our side could use a lto less religion to"

All religion, all fo it is the cause. We need to purge it from America, the middle east, Europe, it just needs to go away.

Until we do there will never be any peqace, and that's just the truth.

And people who don't read don't get to call other "youngin" even if my age is less than yours, at least I read a whole post before I attempt to counter it.

[Clavis]

America is going through the slow, painful process of marginalizing our religious extremists. What about your country?

[SiberianRat]

Wow, how disturbing and arrogant that you think we would have the right to "secularize the Arab world."

[Foxrun]

Please explain exactly what the US is giving Saudi Arabia? It definitely is not giving it aid - in fact it is KSA which has to turn around and send its petrodollars to buy bs American military arsenal. It is KSA and other Arab countries which have to come in and dump billions to bail out our bankrupt financial institutions.

Of course I agree that when you are a puppet client state you have to do what the super-power tells you to do - and this is the problem with most of the Arab regimes.

[BackFromParadise]

Great post. I know it must be difficult being so underrepresented amidst all the conflict going on in that region. I hope to read more from you and others in the future.

[iluvsam]

Both parties need to put religion aside and actually start making RATIONAL decisions.

[michyh]

They ARE their religions. It's in dress, custom, daily life, woven into the fabric of being. It cannot be separated, thats the problem.
And how any woman can disgrace herself by being part of any faith is beyond me. They ALL have treated women with contempt and still do.
This is where women of faith start citing all the expceptions. Blah, blah ,blah.
The Muslim world needs to come to this century as do the Israelis.

Religion can't be separated; it's the problem.It needs to be eliminated.

[Derelict outlaw]

please try to understand that we expect the Muslim culture which in the Hejira is about 400 years behind social Christianity and thousands of years behind Buddhist culture is trying to adapt and change but....wha­t if we and our culture had just evolved (400 years) from the dark ages and the inquisitions and were expected to join hands and dance with the Jews?

We might appear to have a "barbaric" beleif system and culture no?

[ZenJu]

Here's a novel idea. If the Palestinians TRULY want a state, all they have to do is to recognize Israel's right to exist, sign a treaty, and start building one, rooted in peace. International aid will be generous and forthcoming. Any Palestinian wanting to live in the West Bank or Gaza may do so; those who do not, will be freed from their cruel imprisonment by their fellow Arabs and allowed to settle in those Arab lands or migrate elsewhere. Jerusalem can be a shared capital, with the right of the Jews to their ancient and historic land recognized. The Arab world will stop running hateful anti-Semitic propaganda in their media and in schools. There can be Jewish citizens of Palestine, just as there are Arab citizens of Israel. Together, Arab and Jew can create a viable, durable, lasting and just peace in coexistence in their common home. Why is this so farfetched or hard to grasp?

[Erjavec]

Sorry, but it's too far-fetched now for many reasons. Palestinians did all that, only to see negotiations and the peace crumble under the joint effort by the extremists on both sides. At this point in time, even if 99% of populations of Israel and Palestine wanted peace, 1% of extremists will easily find a way to block it. Physical separation of the two is the only way to slowly start building up trust.

Not nice, but a reality.

[joeinvt]

When did the Palestinians do all that? I missed it.

[arvay]

It's too late for a two-state solution.A glance at this map illustrates the reason.

http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/270-palestines-island-paradise-now-with-a-word-from-its-creator/

Israel will never remove these settlers, fanatical rabbis are already calling for a virtual civil war if they try.

The only way to peace is a single democratic state, that gives full rights to both Jews and Arabs, and allows the dispossessed Palestinians to return. The Jewish settlers on the West Bank won't be dispossessed, they will just need to welcome a large group of new neighbors, and dismantle the apartheid roads and other vestiges of occupation.

Yes, Israel will have to give up its status as a "Jewish" state, as South Africa gave up its status as a "white" nation.

[SiberianRat]

I think this idea would be great but I can't see it happening--too much hatred on both sides.

[SiberianRat]

Thank you for your thoughts, Ms. Jawhar--I'm glad HuffPo publishes views from the Arab world. I think that this idea of mutual respect must of course be coupled with mutual responsibility. We (US) must be a fair peace-broker (which will not be easy with the extremist government in Israel), but Arabs must show their willingness too to back off of brinkmanship rhetoric and Hamas needs to control its militants more effectively and engage in true diplomacy. If this happens and Israel does not reciprocate (which they likely won't), then I believe pressure will be greater than ever against Israel in the US. Many Americans support Israel because they've been told they should, not because they really understand the situation. Arabs, Americans, and even the Persians must work together through very public diplomacy to change American attitudes and force Israel to abide by international and humanitarian law. If this doesn't happen, then Israel will continue to play the antisemitism card successfully.

[arvay]

"Many Americans support Israel because they've been told they should, not because they really understand the situation.­"

You've put your finger on an essential weakness of Israel's ability to manipulate our politics.

Obama can do a great service to the US and to his own efforts by educating the American people on the situation, including the oppressive and humiliating conditions imposed on the Palestinians, the essential craziness of Israeli actions such as the Lebanese incursion of 2006 and the recent Gaza action.

Most of all, he's got to again and again tell Americans that Israel is defying the US and the world and its own previous agreements by continuing to build West bank settlements. He needs to draw a clear connection between these Israeli actions and hatred for America across the world. They take our money and tell us to bleep ourselves.

When Americans start to understand that our 'ally" takes our money, destroys our interests and then arrogantly thumbs its nose at us -- public opinion will start to condense around realism.

[SiberianRat]

I absolutely agree.