Saturday April 11, 2009

I've Been Thinking:

One of the best ways to read the teas leaves in the Arab world is to watch the Arab world's response to other people's speeches and actions.

Syria's Foreign Minister Wallid Moullem was quoted in a Saudi Arabian newspaper.
Commenting on US President Barack Obama's speech in Turkey, Moullem said that the words were nice, then asked how they coincide with the new Israeli government.

With that comment Syria laid bare their lack of understanding of the relationship between the United States and Israel.
Syria assumes that there is a disconnect in policy and practice, as if the United States and Israel are two sides of the same unit.

But they are not.
Israel and the US will have to work out their differences.
And the rest of the world will wait and will watch.

The Israeli perspective is that two states will work only when there is a viable Palestinian Authority, only when there is a PA that can govern.
The United States is hoping that there already is a PA that can govern.
The United States will be disappointed.

The US still needs to be educated in the ways of the Middle East.
As that happens the US could be reaching out and helping both Israel and the Palestinians to build institutions of freedom and security and justice.
The best place to start is in the schools.

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