Obama's Message to Israel

{
  "authors": [
    "Michele Dunne"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North America",
    "United States",
    "Middle East",
    "Israel",
    "Palestine"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

In The Media

Obama's Message to Israel

Obama's speech to the Muslim world focused on two of the main obstacles to making progress on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute: violence by Palestinians against Israelis and settlement acitvities by Israelis in the West Bank.

By Michele Dunne

Published on Jun 5, 2009

Source: CBS News

President Obama's call for a stop to Israeli settlements in Gaza has set off some political sparks. Michele Dunne explains the administrations motivation for doing so, "One of the things that President Obama did in his speech, was he talked about two of the main obstacles to making progress on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, which are: violence by Palestinians against Israelis and settlement acitvities by Israelis in the West Bank. Those have really deprived Israelis, on one hand, and Palestinians on the other, of confidence in the two-state solution. So I think that Obama thought it was really necessary to lay out the settlement issue as an obtsacle."

About the Author

Michele Dunne

Former Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Program

Michele Dunne was a nonresident scholar in Carnegie’s Middle East Program, where her research focuses on political and economic change in Arab countries, particularly Egypt, as well as U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Recent Work

Research
Islamic Institutions in Arab States: Mapping the Dynamics of Control, Co-option, and Contention
- +6
  Yasmine Farouk, Nathan J. Brown, Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen, …
Research
From Hardware to Holism: Rebalancing America’s Security Engagement With Arab States
- +8
  Robert Springborg, Emile Hokayem, Becca Wasser, …

Foreign Policy North America United States Middle East Israel Palestine

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Europe

Commentary
Strategic Europe
Taking the Pulse: Does the EU Have a Germany Problem?
Are Germany’s economic, industrial, and political struggles becoming a liability for the EU’s ability to rise to the geopolitical moment?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
Commentary
Strategic Europe
The Speech Ursula von der Leyen Can’t Deliver
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is about to give her annual address on the state of the EU. Here’s what she won’t—but should—say.
Rym Momtaz
Article
How Europe’s 2027 Elections Could Test EU Governance
Radical-right parties are expected to do well in upcoming elections in four of the EU's biggest member states. If successful, they could prevent the union from addressing key challenges ahead.
Stefan Lehne
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Europe Fails to Learn the Lessons from Ceuta
The aftermath of the Ceuta crisis shows Europe has drawn the wrong lessons. Rather than doubling down on failed migration policies, the EU needs to address the underlying roots of such episodes.
Richard Youngs
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Taking the Pulse: Is Canada Leading a Third Way?
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has twice inspired praise for standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump: at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos and on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations. Is Carney showing a third way better than the EU has in dealing with the Trump administration?
Rym Momtaz, ed.

More Work from Carnegie Europe

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Taking the Pulse: Does the EU Have a Germany Problem?

Are Germany’s economic, industrial, and political struggles becoming a liability for the EU’s ability to rise to the geopolitical moment?

Rym Momtaz, ed.

Commentary

Strategic Europe

The Speech Ursula von der Leyen Can’t Deliver

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is about to give her annual address on the state of the EU. Here’s what she won’t—but should—say.

Rym Momtaz

Article

How Europe’s 2027 Elections Could Test EU Governance

Radical-right parties are expected to do well in upcoming elections in four of the EU's biggest member states. If successful, they could prevent the union from addressing key challenges ahead.

Stefan Lehne

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Europe Fails to Learn the Lessons from Ceuta

The aftermath of the Ceuta crisis shows Europe has drawn the wrong lessons. Rather than doubling down on failed migration policies, the EU needs to address the underlying roots of such episodes.

Richard Youngs

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Taking the Pulse: Is Canada Leading a Third Way?

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has twice inspired praise for standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump: at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos and on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations. Is Carney showing a third way better than the EU has in dealing with the Trump administration?

Rym Momtaz, ed.