Public Diplomacy blogger Mark Dillen recently posted on Barack Obama's appearance on Al-Arabiya TV, highlighting some initial positive feedback to the new president's interview.
There's no question that Obama's gesture was a unique, and relatively genuine, effort to set the tone for the ‘new face’ of US Middle East policy. However, one might wonder if his message will find traction within that sector of Arab society that has come to develop a negative perception of the US's role in the region.
One would think that groups traditionally critical of the US would reject the president's appearance as being a mere ploy. Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV appears to have all but ignored Obama's appearance on Al-Arabiya. While moderate regimes, such as Egypt and Jordan, will likely remain silent supporters of US policy in the region, dissident, yet influential movements and organizations within these societies – i.e. the Muslim Brotherhood – will likely maintain their critical views as long as the US maintains significant material and diplomatic support for Israel.
However, on the day following Obama's Al-Arabiya interview, the Muslim Brotherhood's website reported that HAMAS political leader Ismael Haniya extended a hand of sorts to the new president, stating that Palestine could be Obama's “gateway to the Islamic world”. It features a letter allegedly authored by Haniya to Obama in which he recognizes the symbolic importance of his election as an African-American, and tries to convey the Palestinian struggle as one similar to that faced by African-Americans throughout history. Outline the suffering experienced in Gaza in its latest conflict in Israel, he attempts to appeal to Obama's image as a symbol of change and reminds the new president that the keys to this ‘gateway’ to the Islamic world is “justice and the freedom of Palestine”.
Even though Haniya's letter does not specifically reference Obama's Al-Arabiya appearance, this message may be seen as implicit recognition of a new flexibility in US policy hinted at by the president's address to the Arab world. Nevertheless, there appears to be a significant response to Obama's interview. While it may take some time before dissident groups in the region will interpret Obama's message, a follow up story by Al-Arabiya elicited almost 300 web responses, although not all were positive. Overall, while Obama's efforts to reach out to Arab audiences may not immediately result in a shift towards increased support of the US in the region, the door appears to be open for new possibilities.
