Lack of Credibility Toward US Middle Eastern Policy

The L.A.T reported (2/21/2010) on the second US Islamic Forum held in Doha.
The objective of the Forum was to discuss the prevention of “a global clash of civilization.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended the meeting in order to gain support from the participants to pressure Iran to end its nuclear program.
It has been reported that nothing significant was gained by the US at the meeting.
The lack of US support is attributed to the disappointment Arabs and Muslims felt due to President Obama unfulfilled promises in settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Israeli government did not comply with President Obama’s request to freeze the construction of Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank. President Obama instead of pursuing his request, he rather retracted. This change resulted in the lack of credibility that the Arab world felt toward the American administration.
The Secretary of State, nevertheless, tried to assure her audience by saying that “the US is determined to settle this conflict once and for all.” But, she warned that the “US role was limited, since it would be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to make the decision.”
The pit fall of US foreign policy is that American politicians do not have the courage to stand up to Israel’s arrogance and defiance and to question the support of AIPAC and other Jewish Zionist organizations in the US toward Israel. Israel’s interest has always superseded American national interest.
It is obvious that President Obama has backed away from his previous position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This must be due to a’ behind the door’ warning from his close advisors not to pressure Israel if he wants to implement his national agenda.
The majority of the Congress strongly supports Israel and will not hesitate to challenge the President’s Middle Eastern policy. Furthermore, the Democratic Party has already begun preparing for the 2012 presidential campaign.
President Obam is a realist, and definitely wants to run for a second term. Hence, it will not be wise on his part to take a risk and pressure Israel. He will end up antagonizing its supporters in the American political arena.
In an article published by the Charleston Daily Post Courier (5/6/2004), ex-senator Fritz Holling of South Carolina was quoted saying that “the role of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is the most important pro-Israel lobby group in Washington in determining US policy in the Middle East. You can’t have an Israeli policy other than what AIPAC gives you around here. No president”, he further said “takes office – I don’t care whether it is Republican or Democrat- that all of sudden AIPAC will tell him exactly what the policy is.”
During the past five decades, Arab political leaders have failed to understand how US foreign policy toward the Middle East is formulated and who is formulating it!