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'Palestine' and the personal

Mark Urban | 20:47 UK time, Thursday, 4 June 2009

US President Barack Obama's Cairo speech was a watershed moment.

Yes, sometimes even a journalistic cliche is justified.

He is a supreme practitioner of the "politics of the personal" - just read his books - and on Thursday we saw this approach introduced to the Middle East.

Inevitably the speech will be scrutinised for the detail of his language - referring to the Israeli "occupation" of Palestinian territory or America's "unbreakable" bond with that Jewish state.

The spinning about such themes is already in full swing, but it misses the wider point.

The real significance of this address was in telling the Arab and Muslim worlds that a quite different sort of person now occupies the White House.

The US president wants everybody to understand that he sees comparisons between the Palestinian struggle and the black civil rights movement in the US or that he is appreciative of the Islamic contribution to modern civilisation.

All of this was couched in personal, almost intimate, terms. There were allusions to the education of daughters, his father's journey as an immigrant from the African continent and to his own childhood experience of hearing the prayer call in Indonesia.

Repeated quotations from the Koran drew enthusiastic applause from his Egyptian audience.

His careful forays into sensitive Egyptian topics such as the rights of Coptic Christians or the universality of human rights were likewise gleefully received.

In terms of the broader politics, my own view is that there were two salient novelties in this speech. The descriptions of the "daily humiliations, large and small", of Palestinians and of "Palestine's" "right to exist", mark an important departure for an occupant of the White House.

This latter phrase, deliberately exploiting the power of words normally associated with Israel has great rhetorical, and therefore political power.

The emphasis on the US and Muslim countries working together on the basis of what binds them might seem like and example "diplomatic phrase making 101", but it also marked a strong difference from President George W Bush's approach.

Mr Obama has effectively today rolled out the negative philosophical image to his predecessor's War on Terror.

The Bush approach, and I witnessed this at the UN General Assembly in New York last September, was to give the bulk of a speech to what divided America from the Muslim world - how best fight terrorism.

Today Mr Obama did not use the T word at all, instead referring to "violent extremism".

Rather than threatening reprisal against state sponsors of that violence he gave the ultimate soft power presentation.

This ranged from promising US backing for female education projects to excoriation of Arab leaders who talked a good game about democracy when seeking power but soon abandoned it in office.

I can already guess the lines of attack that will be used against the speech. We got a flavour in an Osama bin Laden audio tape released on Wednesday.

But just as the president couched his arguments in terms of the personal, so we can expect those who oppose him or who are cynical about his motives to adopt the same tactic.

They will say that Mr Obama may be a decent man but he is a "prisoner of the Zionists" or a "puppet of the oil companies".

The Arab world, after all abounds with tales of good emirs surrounded by evil viziers.

However the real challenge for America's opponents - particularly those who play the traditional regional game of basing their attitude on what the president can do to solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem - will be to explain away the fact that a man of the convictions expressed by Mr Obama today now resides in the White House.

Back in 1990, when trying to pressure Israel into negotiations, US Secretary of State James Baker famously announced the White House phone number and told them to call when they were interested in talking about peace.

Today Mr Obama has effectively told the Arabs and wider Muslim world, "I'm listening".

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    I recall watching Amos Oz being interviewed on TV

    He said that it was no longer a question of supporting the Arabs or the Israelis. He argued that it was now (then) a question of supporting those who want to make peace, or those who want to make war.

    As much as I respect the man, at the time I thought he was being hopelessly naive. Perhaps his time has come.

  • Comment number 2.


    Mark

    I noted, as you have done that "Today Mr Obama did not use the T word at all, instead referring to "violent extremism"." You have more knowledge in this area than I do, but would it be unreasonable to expect Obama to drop the term "violent extremism" in future speeches, and move further by replacing it with "desperate, understandable retaliation," or similar?

  • Comment number 3.

    to the settler mindset the usa president is now an obstacle to 'peace'?

  • Comment number 4.

    I DIDN'T HEAR OBAMA RENOUNCE AMERICA'S VIOLENT EXTREMISM BUT -

    isn't that how Christianity is supposed to work?

    As for "Common principles of justice, progress and tolerance." Deconstruct that strange grouping - and wonder! I think the speech-writer needs a slap, and BO should ponder a little deeper about what he reads out. Religious (dogmatic) PROGRESS? The only worthwhile progress would be for religions (especially the terrible two) to admit to man-made error.

    PS The 'Two State Solution'. Anyone seen a map?

  • Comment number 5.

    THE DANGEROUS ILLUSION TOUR!

    (Talk Comes Cheap)

    Talk comes cheap, and the World has had its fill of the hundreds of multi flawed, symptomatic of double standards prism, failure premised, charismatic, very beautifully written vocabulary, sweet nuance laced speeches, filled with platitudes, slogans of mutual respect, politically blame the Empire moments, rhetoric, lacking specific policy recommendations for dealing with any problems, geo-economic, environmental, military, political, regional, etc., trying to be all things to all people, made by, an Imperial Media Messiah having no real convictions or core of beliefs, other than in his own greatness. The Imperial Media Messiahs foreign policies speeches carry much less weight, having already managed to lose much of their favour in Europe, the Greater Middle East, North Africa or Islamic World, and even within the Empires, own infatuated Empire West, American media, as journalists of no longer feels a "tingle up their legs"

    (The Cancerous Tumor)

    The criticism, of the Empires strongest American Empire (East) ally Israel with a very hard line against Israeli settlements, and ally which will not accept in any fashion that settlement activities be frozen, an ally already considered by the Islamic world, as a "cancerous tumor in the heart" of the Islamic world, with no possibility of negotiations with organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah or the possibility of removing the hatred felt in the Muslim world against the Empire, in an environment like that, what is the intended message sent to the (Eastern Empire) ally, that the American Israeli Empire (Wests) strong bonds with Israel, The American Israeli Empire (East), The Tip of the Spear into the Islamic Crescent, are well known, and are unbreakable, based upon cultural and historical ties, recognizing the creation of the state of Israel as a Jewish homeland was rooted and caused by the history of Europeans guilt over the Holocaust, and that the Arabs living on that land at that time to this, have to atone for those crimes, history that cannot be denied.

    (Change in Practice)

    For the people of the Muslim regions, of the Greater Middle East, North Africa or Islamic World, did not hear many new things from Obama expecting change there will be a not fundamental be delivered change in practice. Do to the Empires policy, to create an alliance between moderate Islamic Arab states and Israel against Shi-ite Persian Republic of Iran, which also presumes a popularuprisings in non-democratic countries, leading to regime changes, and the establishment of liberal democracies, as long as the elected democracies do not include Hamas and Hezbollah like governments. Or, the Empire will continue working to the overthrow them as the Empire did to the democratically elected Iranian government in (1953), branding and labeling , Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations throughout the World, democratically elected, governments which even the infatuated Empire (West), American prominent media, newspapers, magazines and analyses are aware of the necessity to negotiate with both.

    (No Mending Bridges)

    The Greater Middle East has been mired for over half a century, against an American Israeli Empire, policy not giving pause to, or breaking the current status quo, ignoring international laws, Oslo Accords, Roadmap to Peace, which have given rise to an ill-mannered image, creating hate from the bottom of the hearts of the Greater Islamic World, toward the (AIE) American Israeli Empire, that now exists. These people have witnessed violence, aggressive military intervention, the bombing of innocent civilians in
    Afghanistan seeing no difference between these killings, and those killings done by Islamic Freedom Fighters of the enemies of Islam, human rights violations and discrimination. And the Dangerous Illusion Tour has done nothing to fundamentally change that policy, which in the end will only lead to further disappointment and apathy. Following which will make transforming this image, and mending of bridges in the future significantly more difficult, indefinitely delaying normalization of relations in the Greater Middle East by the Empire.

    (The Greater Good)

    So, what was the Dangerous Illusion Tour about? It could have been no more than a way for the Imperial Media Messiah Empire President (West) West to provide himself with political cover, and avoid Impeachment the day when the American Israeli Empire (East), Israel begins its attack upon the Shi-ite Persian Republic of Iran. Duck and Cover, its not our fault we had nothing to do with this, letting the Jews of Israel know in effect that the American Israeli Empire West will not take political heat over the attack nor give political support for it, but will none the less provide military support of the American Israeli Empire (East) continued existence. This is what Non-Israeli-Jewish columnist has been warning about in print for some time, the backlash against Israeli Jews will only be harsh political ones, but the backlash against Non-Israeli-Jews, will be more direct, the only question is will it give Israeli-Jews pause or will it be one of, their loss is for the greater good of Israel.


  • Comment number 6.

    OF EMIRS AND VIZIERS

    (Some things remain the same)

    But just as the president couched his arguments in terms of the personal, so we can expect those who oppose him or who are cynical about his motives to adopt the same tactic.
    All I know is just what I get an eye-full of as I wander from tabernacle to ten, preaching a sermon on Tolerance Toward Politicians. I try to tem them those men are doing the best they can according to the dictates of (NO) conscience. People think I am a paid propagandist, sent out by the politicians just to foster good will toward them. But it is not that at all, it is just that I do not think the politicians are getting what is coming to them, (They Are Lucky). (Source: Will Rodgers, April 22, 1928).

    And today, is no different and once again we have an Imperial Media Messiah having no real convictions or core of beliefs, other than in his own greatness, in (81) eighty-one years nothing has changed, some things just remain the same.

    Politics and Cooking

    They will say that Mr Obama may be a decent man but he is a "prisoner of the Zionists" or a "puppet of the oil companies".

    Now, Politics is a lot like cooking, you just do not start one thing and wait for it to finish before starting another item of the meal, and all meals are generally made of multiple items and often with multiple courses depending on the meals (Breakfast, Dinner/Lunch, or Supper) and just how rich you are, and if you doing the kitchen work or a hired hand. So, is the Media Messiah Imperial President a Prisoner of the Zionist, Puppet Of The Oil Companies, and a Conniving Political Animal, and once again, trying to be all things to all people, having no real convictions or core of beliefs, other than in his own greatness, YES!, this is not a single course meal.

    (Of Emirs and Viziers)

    The Arab world, after all abounds with tales of good emirs surrounded by evil viziers.

    The concept that only the Arab World is the only culture that has tales of good emirs and evil viziers, is at best ingenuous, we can go into the cultures of China, Rome, Greece, all Empires and the (AIE) American Israeli Empire is no exception to the rule, we have;

    (AIPAC/AZC) American Israel Public Affairs Committee/American Zionist Council, a (100K) One-hundred membership neo-conservative Jewish lobbyists group, connected to various caucus members of influential members of the Empire's pro-Israel lawmakers the (544) Imperial Court. The (2) Two Mossad Agents David Alexrod, and Rahm Emanuel in the White House, Zionist Jewish interests have taken over the World Bank, (IMF) International Monetary Fund, Wall St., (NYSE) New York Stock Exchange, (AIE/W) American Israeli Empire West New York City based national domestic media, and national entertainment systems, and NO this is not Anti-Semitism, its simply stating a fact, and a not to impressive accomplishment of a worlds people representing a small faction of the worlds population.

    The Bilderberg Group, is made up (120) One-Hundred and Twenty members who either have all the money in the world or have control of all the money in the world, some of its members seem to be, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Ron Burkle, The Bush Family, Bill Clinton, Thomas Graham, Heinz Kissinger, The Kennedy Family and David Rockefeller (The Rockefeller Family), and if not direct members of the group of (120) One-Hundred-Twenty, inner circle, are associate members.
    These are but two groups that are fighting for control of the New World
    Masons, Opus Dey, Bilderberg Group, and Skull and Bones, Zionist, (KKK) Klue Klux Klan, are all dangerous organizations to the common good the World Community, any organizations with secret agendas, oaths and hand shakes, or whatever have agendas, not necessarily in the best interest of all, as they are in the interests of their own select group.

    What the controlled media is now doing is providing cover for these groups and their connection to and control of the politics of the Worlds Global Political System which is the opposite of what it was designed to do, lift the rock, and shed the light of truth upon their activities against the common good of all. We need to know what the Emirs and Viziers are up to no good.

  • Comment number 7.

    2. At 9:52pm on 04 Jun 2009, Richard_SM wrote:
    "....move further by replacing it with "desperate, understandable retaliation," or similar?"

    Yes, very true. I can understand how the Israelis could be described as desperate and their retaliation described as understandable.

    But how would we describe the actions of Hamas?

  • Comment number 8.

    i read the whole speach,
    to me it look like mr obama is aiming to get a nobel peace prize.
    and he is in such a hurry to make sure the much complex issue is solved before his term ends, as he is well aware that it is not so easy to get palest beleive his words.

    why done mr Obama try and solve the kashmir issue,

  • Comment number 9.

    BIBIS DEMOGRAPHIC TIME BOMB!

    (Bill Clinton and the Demographic Reality)

    Bill Clinton laid out the Demographic Reality of the (AIE/W) American Israeli Empire-West, that of a Colored Muslim majority by the year (2050) a mere (40) Forty-Years, away and that is a blink of an eye in Global Time. Both the Demographics of the STATE OF ISRAEL and the (AIE/W), and time are running out. It has now come to the point were the very existence of the Jewish Culture, either Non-Israeli-Jews or Israeli-Jews, is at a critical mass. As the country that most provided military and political support in global affairs will no longer under a Muslim majority either support but will be a Clear and Present Danger to their existence with the largest Nuclear Arsenal, and Military Industrial Complex on the globe will be aligned against their survival.

    (New State of Israel)

    The STATE OF ISRAEL, and the Non-Israeli-Jewish Community must come together as a culture and take by force the entire former nation of Israel and reestablish it, by force and preemptively nuclear attack the Shi-ite Persian Republic of Iran and any other Arab or Persian culture that would threaten its existence. The millions of Palestinians must be expelled from the reestablished NEW STATE OF ISRAEL, a reservation state of Palestine, or apartheid rule is not an option, leading to decades of nightmare diplomatic demands made by the global community, an demographically changing (AIE/W) as it turns from Ally to Enemy of the State of Israel due to the unchecked demographic change within its own geographic, geo-political sphere.

    (Radical Surgery)

    There comes that pivotal moment in history, when decisive action must be taken or all will be lost and that time is now for Israeli (PM) Prime Minister Benyamin BiBi Netanyahu, who can no longer count on the support of the (AIE/W), but in fact can only count upon a former Ally becoming a Clear and Present Danger to the continued existence of the NEW STATE OF ISRAEL. The NEW STATE OF ISRAEL must be rapidly, forcefully, and dramatically established, and the coming (40) Forty-Year period of the decline of support between its former Ally must be used to fortify the NEW STATE OF ISRAEL, and the cementing of new geo-relationships with other Spheres of Influence in the New World Community of Nations. It is a matter of cutting out the Cancer radically, followed by long term treatment allowing healing of the wounds. (PM) Prime Minister Benyamin BiBi Netanyahu, is the right surgeon at the right place, at the right time, the patience can not wait, time can not be wasted, as the hour glass of the demographic reality runs out, and BIBIS DEMOGRAPHIC TIME BOMB DETONATES!

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