Politics

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed a Palestinian nation beside Israel for the first time Sunday, reversing himself in the face of U.S. pressure but attaching conditions such as demilitarization that Palestinians swiftly rejected. A week after President Barack Obama’s address to the Muslim world, Netanyahu said the Palestinian nation would have to be unarmed … Continued

Former President Bill Clinton told a gathering of Arab Americans on Saturday night that the increasingly interdependent world must learn to embrace diversity or risk perishing. Alternating between humor and heavy philosophizing, Clinton pointed to scientific breakthroughs, spiritual texts, the recent economic meltdown and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to deliver a near 40-minute-long message that the … Continued

Former President Jimmy Carter’s latest Mideast peacemaking trip will include a visit with the father of a captive Israeli soldier and a tour of a West Bank settlement. Carter is visiting Syria, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in his effort to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Carter Center said Tuesday that Carter will … Continued

Washington wants stalled Middle East peace talks to resume soon and wrap up quickly, US envoy George Mitchell told Israeli leaders on Tuesday, as it was announced he would make his first visit to Syria. Mitchell, whose visit comes just days before hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to outline his cabinet’s peace … Continued

The United States on Monday renewed its support for Lebanon after a surprise election victory by US allies, grouped in an anti-Syrian coalition, over opponents including Iranian-backed Hezbollah. President Barack Obama, whose country has backed the anti-Syria bloc, said Washington would “continue to support a sovereign and independent Lebanon, committed to peace”. “It is our … Continued

The President’s speech in Cairo was inspiring, unprecedented, truthful and courageous. I have been waiting for this speech most of my life. It is the first time an American President spoke publicly about how “Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspiration”. The mere utterances of these words bring … Continued

The Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting on June 17 to come up with a common Arab stance on U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo University, a source at the Cairo-based Arab league (AL) said Monday. “An emergency meeting will be held at Arab League on June 17 to discuss Obama’s speech,” … Continued

The following statement was released: I congratulate the people of Lebanon for holding a peaceful election yesterday. The high turnout and the candidates – too many of whom know personally the violence that has marred Lebanon – are the strongest indications yet of the Lebanese desire for security and prosperity. Once more, the people of … Continued

n opening a bold overture to the Islamic world on Thursday, President Obama confronted frictions between Muslims and the West, but he reserved some of his bluntest words for Israel, as he expressed sympathy for the Palestinians and what he called the “daily humiliations, large and small, that come with occupation.” While Mr. Obama emphasized … Continued

Muslim Americans in metro Detroit said they were pleased with President Barack Obama’s speech on Islam today in Egypt, in which he praised the contributions of Muslims living in the U.S. “I think Obama has closed the gap between the Muslim world and America,” said Ned Fawaz, 69, of Dearborn. “He has brought people together.” … Continued

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee commends remarks delivered by the President of the United States in a historic speech on U.S. relations with the Arab and Muslim World this morning in Cairo. The President, who had made a commitment as a candidate, to deliver an important address to the people of the Arab and Muslim world … Continued

Below, the full text of President Obama’s speech in Cairo, Egypt, titled “A New Beginning.” I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning, and for over a century, Cairo University … Continued