Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., May 25, 2009 Sivan 2, 5769 | | Israel Time: 22:07 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Focus U.S.A. Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 11:40 24/05/2009
Arabs like Obama but are still suspicious of U.S.
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Obama, Israel News, Arabs

President Barack Obama appears to have successfully made inroads with Arab public opinion during his first few months in office, a new poll suggested over the weekend.

A survey by the University of Maryland/Zogby International poll - conducted in the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Morocco - showed that 45 percent of the 4,000 Arabs surveyed view Obama positively. If Egypt is removed from the survey - Egypt's population is larger and more neutral than other countries - Obama's positive rating soars to 60 percent.

About half of the Arabs in six countries said in a recent poll they have a favorable view of Barack Obama and were hopeful about U.S. foreign policy.
Advertisement

A majority - 77 percent - of Arabs said they have a "somewhat unfavorable" or "very unfavorable" attitude toward the United States, down from 83 percent last year. It ranks second only to Israel as the country Arabs view as the world's biggest threat.

Obama will not be presenting an American initiative for Middle East peace during his June 4 speech in Cairo, the White House announced on Friday.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that Obama's speech would address Washington's relationship with Muslims worldwide.

"This will be a broader speech about our relationship with Muslims around the world," said Gibbs at the daily press briefing. "I know there has been some conjecture that included in this speech will be some detailed comprehensive Mideast peace plan, and that is not the intention nor was it ever the intention of this speech."

Gibbs noted that Obama could not address the Muslim world without referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but added that the speech would not focus on it.

The White House announcement comes as no surprise to the Netanyahu government. Israel has long known that President Barack Obama would not present his Middle East peace plan during his upcoming visit to Cairo, a senior Jerusalem official said.

The official said that the U.S. has yet to formulate a cogent diplomatic initiative, and that the administration will not do so until the president completes his first round of meetings with all of the region's leaders, Israel Radio reported.

When asked about Obama's stance on Jerusalem, Gibbs said, "Those are final status issues that the parties themselves have agreed to work out in whatever negotiation would be had. That's not something for the president to intone."

Following Obama's meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, various media reports had speculated that Obama would unveil a new U.S. initiative for achieving peace in the Middle East as part of his upcoming speech meant to improve relations with the Muslim world.

A spokesman for the National Security Council told Haaretz several days ago that Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Nahmoud Abbas - who is scheduled to visit Washington this week - came to the U.S. to clarify their positions on various subjects, but no peace plan is currently on the table "despite rumors to the contrary."
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Banning Nakba
Ministerial panel approves bill which could make it illegal to mourn Independence Day.
Defying Obama
Netanyahu pledges not to form settlements, but says building in existing towns is fair.
  1.   WE JUST WAIT ABOUT ALL OBAMA PLANES/ PROMISES BECOME REALITY 17:40  |  ARABS 24/05/09
  2.   Arabs....got news for you 18:13  |  Lynn 24/05/09
  3.   Lynn.. got news for you 20:06  |  zkt83 24/05/09
  4.   like Obama suspicious about what is possible 20:46  |  Julie 24/05/09
  5.   Zogby study 04:31  |  Baruch Gold 25/05/09
  6.   US has no inclination to dictate resolutions 05:03  |  allang 25/05/09
  7.   The American People are Finally Waking up! 12:12  |  Bob 25/05/09
 Haaretz Hot Topics
The Pope in the Holy Land
Durban II conference
Iran: Nuclear and regional ambitions
Israel vs. Hamas
Air strike in Sudan


More Headlines
19:37 'If Israel doesn't remove Iranian threat, no one will'
17:20 'Israel will face terror, missiles in future war'
18:17 Iran rejects Western proposal for freezing Nuclear program
18:47 Israel demands world 'respond decisively' to North Korea nuclear test
17:50 In Israel, Adam Lambert would have won
21:47 Dutch-Jewish poet masks Israeli roots to win Arab prize
13:34 Pet Shop Boys to perform in Israel in July
20:04 Polish court punishes 'Mein Kampf' publisher
20:58 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel
20:29 Muslim nations at Damascus conference: Resistance is not terrorism
14:28 Labor ministers to fight bill banning Nakba events
20:29 Abbas: Israel's settlement building will be focus of Obama meet
13:09 Barak: U.S.-Iran nuclear talks have 'very low' chance of success
16:24 WATCH: Palestinian official says two-state solution will destroy Israel
18:29 Israeli, Palestinian activists face off across Vienna river
16:54 Arab League chief: Israeli objections to Russia-Hamas talks 'nonsense'
Previous Editions
Special Offers
Advertisement
hotel Jerusalem
David Citadel Hotel, come stay at the finest of Jerusalem hotels.
ISRAEL ARMY SURPLUS STORE
IDF insignia,Uniforms, Paladium Boots Watches, Israel Army T-shirts & Collectibles
Dead Sea Skin Care
Quality cosmetics from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 12% off!
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Israel 2009 election results | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved