An Ominous Moment in Middle East Turmoil

Despite numerous efforts to curry the favor of the Arab world – such as the establishment of the pro-American Al Hurra satellite network – the Bush administration has instead, according to some critics, stoked the fires of Arab resentment through the occupation of Iraq and support for Ariel Sharon and Israel. Some believe the vested interests of pro-Israeli and Evangelical Christian lobbies are guiding US policy in the Middle East. The Bush administration’s recent acceptance of Sharon’s controversial Gaza-withdrawal deal reinforced a popular image of the US as one-sided in its approach to the Israel/Palestine conflict. Religiously-charged statements from the White House, including, “Liberty is the plan of Heaven for humanity,” have convinced much of the Arab street that the Washington's larger plan to democratize the Middle East is tinged with Christian fundamentalism. Increasingly, many Arabs conflate the struggles in Iraq and Palestine, and feel antagonized by the Bush administration’s agenda for the region. – YaleGlobal