As anticipated, Barack Obama's speech in Cairo this morning has sparked a blogging frenzy focused on whether or not there was a positive impact on the Muslim world.
Instead of adding to the redundancy, I would like to talk about the investment our President made today in a new Middle East.
In college, I was fortunate enough to take an introductory negotiations course that covered a variety of famous political, religious, financial, and emotionally charged arbitrations. Although it is unnecessary to go into course specifics, it has been interesting to watch Barack Obama productively utilize negotiation tactics when handling the Middle East. As somebody with a Jewish heritage, it has been frustrating watching many Israeli Jews and American Jews quickly becoming critical of our new president's strategy for a peaceful solution. All too often, I hear about how Barack Obama is straining our current relationship with Israel. Instead I would like somebody to consider frustrations as the"growing pains" necessary for us to move beyond prior convictions and work our way back up to a "clean slate."
The Bush administration may have supported Israel in every way imaginable, but 8 years later we can only say that they maintained a status quo in the region. More importantly, unwavering support for Israel cost the United States one of its previously greatest assets; the ability to mediate between nations. When I watched Barack Obama's speech today, I could not find fault with his praise for Muslim achievements and scrutinizing of Israel's occupation of lands negotiated on in prior treaties. While I do believe that Islamic extremists have caused Americans to become increasingly weary of the Muslim faith, our inability to differentiate between extremists and the main stream religion have added to the fire and set the grounds for a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Before Barack Obama can think about negotiating a peace deal in the Middle East, he must first become a negotiator in the eyes of those who live there. Over the past 2 years, recognized agreements have failed because citizens did not believe that their leaders were making decisions in their best interests. A real peace will only happen when the average citizen fully understands where the other side is coming from, what compromises they have made, and why they are willing to make them. Only then can Muslims and Jews talk "human to human" at the negotiating table.
Today Barack Obama invested in the Middle East by sowing the seeds that will allow him to become a formidable, reliable, unbiased (as much as any American can be), and informative negotiator for all people of the region. When both Muslim and Jew can refer to Barack Obama as a source for understanding, explaining, and compromise, maybe then a few settlements will REALLY be worth the security and prosperity from everlasting peace.
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