Tone Deaf in Gaza: Obama on al-Arabiya

Much is being made of Obama's interview with Al-Arabiya. Though it should be noted that if Obama really wanted to "reach out" to those of the Muslim worlds with something other than "Predator Ariel Drones" (how exactly did we end up in this episode of Star Wars?), he would have went on Al-Jazeera. However, Obama would not go on Al-Jazeera because, Al-Jazeera would have asked him tough questions, such as how Israel's occupation of and settlements in the the West Bank affect prospects for peace. Al-Jazeera would have most certainly asked Obama about his position on the Israeli assault on Gaza. It is rather amazing that in that entire interview, Hisham Melhem did not ask one question about the Gaza massacre. How they can go on pretending that massacre didn't take place is beyond me. As is how an American president can expect to have any credibility in the Arab world after have stood by Israel as it added one more atrocity to its fast growing list.

This is why Obama went on Al-Arabiya, which is owned by Saudi King Fahd's brother-in-law, and should be considered an organ of Saudi state propaganda.

Indeed, in the interview, Melham describes the US as "the only western power with no colonial legacy" (about 9:45 into the video, transcript here). As long as erasing America's colonial past and present remains a crucial presuppositions for all discussion of America's place in the world, we'll remained trapped in a world of universal deceit. The minute we start putting the Zionist project in the same context as Manifest Destiny and the ethic cleansing of Natives, we'll begin to start working our way out of this morass.

This portion of the interview stood in my mind as particularly egregious:

Now, Israel is a strong ally of the United States. They will not stop being a strong ally of the United States. And I will continue to believe that Israel's security is paramount. But I also believe that there are Israelis who recognize that it is important to achieve peace. They will be willing to make sacrifices if the time is appropriate and if there is serious partnership on the other side.

This last sentence says it all. "... if the time is right"? What is that supposed to mean?

Another of Obama's greatest hits:

But if you look at the track record, as you say, America was not born as a colonial power [yeah, just ask the Native Americans...], and that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that.

US respect and partnership with the Muslim worlds in 1988 or 1978? What is he talking about?