On June 4, in Cairo, President Obama started a promising dialogue with Islam:

President Barack Obama waves to the audience as he leaves the Grand Hall of Cairo University after delivering a speech in Cairo June 4, 2009. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

“So let there be no doubt: Islam is a part of America. And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations — to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.”
President Obama reached his Middle East audience with subtle messages. To the Israelis, Obama hinted that if they wanted lasting security they must give Palestinians a state of their own. To the Palestinians, he cautioned that only with peaceful resistance could they achieve liberation. To the Arab states, he communicated that their primary problem is not Palestine; it is deficits in reforms.

Obama reached his audience with cultural sensitivity. He did not offer new formulas. Instead, he laid out principles. As a guest to the Arab world, he stayed within the zone of comfort of the host.

First on his mind was the principle of appreciation of Islam. Second was the urgency of the solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Third, he believes Arabs should reform politically, if peace between Israel and Palestinians is to last.

The president explained that Americans need to recognize that Islam is a great civilization, that Muslims in the past transmitted art and science to the West and that Muslims respect peace based on justice.

The president explained that the war in Afghanistan was just: to combat violence and extreme ideology. He assumed that Muslims should be on America’s side in fighting the enemies of freedom and peace worldwide.

Mindful of the political implications of a full apology, Obama hinted that the Iraq war could have been avoided: “Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world.” While he defended the dethroning of Saddam Hussein, he implied that America could have avoided the war through diplomacy. The president reminded his audience that he is closing Guantanamo Bay, he is banning torture and withdrawing all U.S. troops from Iraq by 2012.

On Iran, the president was brief and reconciliatory. While he cautioned against the building of nuclear weapons, he encouraged Tehran to develop atomic energy in compliance with international standards. When he spoke about religious tolerance, he was wise to mention that he considers the Sunnite-Shiite rift a problem. Obama indirectly acknowledged that some states ( Israel in mind) already have developed atomic weapons. It is this undeclared fact that made Obama’s comments on Iran’s defense ambitions vulnerable.

Having set the stage for reconciliation, Obama came to the Arab-Israeli conflict with unexpected clarity and directness. He first explained that U.S. relations with Israel are close and founded on firm grounds: history, suffering and reciprocity. “This bond is unbreakable,” Obama proudly stated.

Then the president compassionately acknowledged the pain of Palestinian displacement. Next came a surprise: Obama is the first president to compare the struggle of the Palestinians with the struggle of Black Americans. He mentioned the lessons learned in South Africa. He reached out to Hamas by recognizing its appeal to Palestinians. He rightly cautioned against the use of violence in the struggle: “Violence is a dead end.”

The president reiterated his firm opposition to the building of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land and promised to push the peace process for a two state solution. The following promise received much applause: “And that is why I intend to personally pursue this outcome with all the patience and dedication that the task requires.”

Having given a boost to the Palestinian cause, Obama turned to the Arab side and asked for reform: democracy in governance, the rights of women, religious freedom and economic development. In this part of the speech Obama was very measured. His critics will point out that he was soft in addressing the oppression of Arab regimes. His defense is that he was a guest of the Arab world. His mission is to improve relations, not to cross the privilege of hospitality. The Israelis would have liked Obama to connect Arab reform with Israel’s security more forcefully. That would have been difficult in Cairo.

Obama’s visit to Cairo was historic. It lived up to expectations. It opened dialogue, started the formal peace pressure on Israel and set the stage for new partnerships with the Muslim world.