Source: Brian Lehrer Show
Speaking on the Brian Lehrer Show, Marwan Muasher said that one of the important U.S. foreign policy issues that will be affected by the riots in Tunisia and Egypt is the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The Arab-Israeli conflict has been used by dictators in the region to distract their citizen from demanding substantive political reforms, Muasher said. The current crisis will offer Arab states an opportunity to address political reform and peace in tandem.
Muasher called on Saudi Arabia to lead efforts towards a regional peace accord. Ultimately, the protests in Egypt and Tunisia may not catalyze instant change in other Arab countries, but “this reform issue is something that Arab governments can no longer ignore in their policies,” noted Muasher.