Source: BBC World News America

President Obama’s trip to the Middle East comes at a time when the United States faces a host of policy challenges in the region. While his trip to Israel and his charm offensive directed at the Israeli people have garnered much attention, President Obama and his administration also face the ongoing deteriorating situation in Syria, the Iran nuclear program, the continuing reverberations of the Arab Awakening, and a stalled peace process. Speaking on BBC’s World News America, Carnegie’s Marwan Muasher noted that although Obama’s speeches in Israel and the West Bank were eloquent and compelling, his previous lack of action following major speeches, such as the 2009 Cairo speech, has undermined the value of his words. The president did not say whether or not the United States was going to reengage with the peace process. “The feeling in Washington is that the administration is not going to reengage and unless the two parties move on their own he won’t be in a position to be proactive. If this is the case, then chances for a two-state solution are slim,” concluded Muasher.