One of my friends had the luxury, since she works on private jets that frequently chauffeur oil-rich American and Arab businessman around the world, to hear an international view of the results of the election on election night. She told me how ecstatic some of her Saudi clients were the night of the election as they jumped up and down, celebrating with champagne and cheering at the news of President-elect Barack Obama’s victory. One just has to look at videos on www.aljazeera.com and other Middle-Eastern news outlets.
If Obama’s first pick in the new administration’s fiercely watched draft of advisors and cabinet picks is any indicator, or the only indicator, then maybe the Middle East shouldn’t rejoice too quickly. Jewish Congressman Rahm Emanuel will be Obama’s chief of staff, a pick that the Arab world has definitely noticed. In the past, it has been said of Emanuel by Israeli journalists and news publications, "He is our guy in the White House."
Well, to be fair, Emanuel’s middle name is, "Israel." No. I’m serious, it is.
I’ve heard Many misguided and unread NASCAR-type voters whining about the baseless rumor that Obama is a Muslim and will help to bring about destruction of our nation via more terrorist attacks and somehow cooperation with terrorist organizations is ridiculous. With Emanuel in the White House, this should further show the uneducated portion of our country, and unfortunately for many who were hopeful in the Middle East, that U.S. foreign policy may not change much.
That is, of course, if you want to assume that just because Obama chose a pro-Israel chief of staff means that we are going to take over the Arab world with nukes and tanks. This too is ridiculous. The chief of staff is the gatekeeper to the president, and thus, he has a lot of power in deciding who does and does not get to meet with the president. However, I do not personally believe it means he will dictate the legislative agenda for the White House. The positions to watch on the foreign policy front will be secretaries of state, defense and national security advisor. Though Obama will likely stay objective in foreign policy relations, especially between Israel and the Middle East, our country has traditionally, and likely will continue to lean in the direction of Israel.
If Obama truly wants to be a one-term president he will ignore Israel and get in bed with everyone in the Middle East. This is just from a strategic standpoint. In practice, however, he will likely be much better at balancing talks and relations both between the U.S. and the Middle East, as well as Israel and the Middle East better than most presidents, because he has a working knowledge and some experience with Middle Eastern countries, customs and religion. In short, he isn’t an old white guy who equates Arabs automatically with being the bad guy or terrorist, like so many who have come before him.
There are so many beautiful things and places in both Israel and Arabic-speaking nations. Some day, some of us, and as time goes by I hope more of us, will see and understand that many people in this world only want a peaceful environment for their children to grow up in – just like we do in the U.S.
I will not be naive, as I’ve heard some make ridiculous claims that we are on our way to a perfect world of nirvana, but I am maintaining and working to help make our nation a more perfect union and our world a more peaceful place to live. There will always be conflict and controversy, and sadly, if you want peace, you must prepare for war, but we should always first seek diplomacy and resolve issues by peaceable means. If, sadly, that doesn’t work, then I will continue to cling to my guns and God.
Delano, a political science and history senior, can be reached via [email protected]
