Obama's Speech

It was described as the most important speech Obama has made on the Middle East since becoming President although the overwhelming feeling I had was why was the United States, a non-Middle-Eastern country, yet again setting out a vision for the Middle East? Why is everyone else not setting out our vision for the USA involving an end to this sort of arrogance?
The 'Arab Spring' caught the American administration by surprise and the US is sliding out of view in the region, their influence fading fast as 'friends' are pushed aside and America is desperate to regain some clout.
Obama's star has been waning or some time now and his cause was not helped by his condemnation of brutal regimes during his hour long speech and name checked Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain but passed over Saudi Arabia.
So far so what we expected, but one place that America does have influence and can make a real change is Israel and I was lifted to hear Obama state that 'the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state'.
This will be the headline maker and was what the Middle East has been waiting to hear and will be the one thing that will show them that the old status quo isn't going to be just accepted anymore because Americas blind defense of Israel is the greatest problem for Americas image in the region.
Israel responded as expected, rejecting the plan for borders along the 1967 lines but if Obama is to make any real difference to the Middle East, he will have to see through the Israeli act of playing the victim and force it into negotiations, proper negotiations and not the feet dragging exercise while Israel continues to claim Palestinian land.
Obama needs to link the negotiations to continued Israeli funding, without American money, Israel will be unable to bankroll it's continued occupation and be forced to seek peace with Palestine.
Whether Obama will do that and risk the religious vote in the 2012 elections will be the test but if America wants to improve its image and be seen as an honest broker in the region, it cannot continue to supply Israel with its weapons which in turn are used against Palestinians.
Meanwhile, until Obamas words become actions, the Middle East will view the West, and America in particular, with suspicion and it has every right to because it is our hyprocisy and meddling in their region that has caused the vast majority of its problems.