On 26 August, Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland and Amjad Atallah, co-Director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation, discussed the results of the 2010 Arab Poll of 6 Arab countries and the implications for U.S. policy in the region. Daniel Levy, co-Director of the Middle East Task Force, led the conversation by asking how the findings of this survey may drive the new round of Middle East peace talks – the prism through which the Arab world views U.S. policy – and how the U.S. might win the confidence of both Israelis and Arabs though this process.
Telhami’s survey results suggest that majorities on both sides do not believe peace is possible. But, Telhami pointed out, as with past peace negotiations, public opinion does not create momentum for change. Only strong leadership can sway public opinion by taking serious steps to advance peace. Therefore, the Obama administration should put aside Arab and Israeli public opinion in the short term – build an agreement and they will come, as he said.
Atallah offered a warning to the administration. If they keep up their Solomonic approach to problem solving, the President will not win the publics opinion, nor will he bring the right solutions to the table. Both speakers agreed that the administration must change their approach to the peace process, by bringing their own solutions to the table and establishing their role as a negotiator with vital interests, as opposed to that of a facilitator.
Telhami’s prediction of the future without a peace agreement was bleak, for the U.S. and for those living the day-to-day reality of the conflict. He said:
If it doesn’t happen on this administration’s clock, we’re really into a whole new ballgame in the region. How people define it, where they go from there, I don’t know. But its going to be a period of instability by default because people don’t know what the reference point is going to be. Second, on U.S. foreign policy, I think people will give up, because you have a certain expectation that did come with Obama and there is an assumption that if this administration cannot do it, who will?
