President Obama's Speech and Middle East Policy

{
  "authors": [
    "Michele Dunne"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Arab Awakening"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Middle East",
    "North Africa"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

In The Media

President Obama's Speech and Middle East Policy

While President Obama’s speech on the Middle East expressed support for the dramatic changes going on in the region and compared those changes with the U.S. experience of nonviolent civil disobedience, it did not set out any bold policy shifts.

By Michele Dunne

Published on May 19, 2011

Source: CNN International

In his speech on the Middle East, President Obama expressed support for the dramatic changes going on in the Middle East and aligned these changes with U.S. values and America’s own history of nonviolent civil disobedience, explained Michele Dunne on CNN International. The president also announced a substantial aid package for Egypt and Tunisia. Ultimately, Dunne said that “the speech was more timid than it needed to be.” In reference to Palestine and Israel, President Obama did not indicate any movement by the administration to begin a new push for peace. Instead, Dunne said, the president favored an approach based around negotiating borders and security before turning to weighty issues like Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees, an approach that Israel favors. Dunne suggested that Obama’s phrasing “should pave the way for a smother visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”

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, …

Political Reform Foreign Policy Middle East North Africa

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 Endowment for International Peace

Commentary
Emissary
The Latest Iran Deal Ignores the Lessons of the Past
By burying disagreements in imprecision, the new deal risks same fate as its predecessors.
James M. Acton
Commentary
Emissary
Iran Wanted to Survive the War. Now What?
The United States and Israel may have unwittingly revived the Islamic Republic’s “zombie regime.”
Suzanne Maloney, Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour
Commentary
Emissary
The Overlooked Link Between Disaster Response at Home and U.S. Power Abroad
Natural disasters are no longer local incidents but sources of systemic risk that threaten vital infrastructure and the economy—and public support for international engagement.
Leonardo Martinez-Diaz
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Taking the Pulse: Is European Diplomacy on Iran Outdated?
When the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding was announced, the UK, France, Germany, and Italy declared their readiness to help demine the Strait of Hormuz and lift nuclear sanctions on Tehran. But does Europe need new tools to recover a diplomatic role?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
How to Ensure That Europe-Russia Talks Do Not Fail
Reestablishing a dialogue with Moscow is not a goal in its own right. The goal is to guarantee the independence of Ukraine and the peace and security of Europe.
Arkady Moshes

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Three people standing outside a fancy building

Commentary

Emissary

The Latest Iran Deal Ignores the Lessons of the Past

By burying disagreements in imprecision, the new deal risks same fate as its predecessors.

James M. Acton

Man sitting in a chair reading a newspaper with Trump's face above the fold

Commentary

Emissary

Iran Wanted to Survive the War. Now What?

The United States and Israel may have unwittingly revived the Islamic Republic’s “zombie regime.”

Suzanne Maloney, Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour

Aerial view of burned-out cars and homes

Commentary

Emissary

The Overlooked Link Between Disaster Response at Home and U.S. Power Abroad

Natural disasters are no longer local incidents but sources of systemic risk that threaten vital infrastructure and the economy—and public support for international engagement.

Leonardo Martinez-Diaz

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Taking the Pulse: Is European Diplomacy on Iran Outdated?

When the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding was announced, the UK, France, Germany, and Italy declared their readiness to help demine the Strait of Hormuz and lift nuclear sanctions on Tehran. But does Europe need new tools to recover a diplomatic role?

Rym Momtaz, ed.

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

How to Ensure That Europe-Russia Talks Do Not Fail

Reestablishing a dialogue with Moscow is not a goal in its own right. The goal is to guarantee the independence of Ukraine and the peace and security of Europe.

Arkady Moshes