Gaza, the US and the New Middle East

President Obama fresh from his election victory was in South East Asia and Burma making good on his pledge to shift the focus of American foreign policy to the pacific region. He called on President Morsi to broker a cease fire between the Israeli’s and Hamas.A key tenet of President Obama’s foreign policy in his second term seems to be that regional powers should be responsible for policing their regions not the United States. Thus Ecowas and the African Union are responsible for the military intervention in Mali and Egypt together with UN Secretary General Ban-Ki moon and the Turkish President Mr Erdogan were in Cairo.    
 
Dr Spencer refers to an article by Tom Friedman in the New York Times who suggested that President Obama had decided that regional leaders should settle the crisis and the United States would not do it for them. Dr Spencer observes that Israel can no longer expect the United States to make the first move on the Middle East peace process. However the US backed Israel’s right to self defence against Hamas missile attacks.
 
This policy may as Dr Spencer notes  may have regional consequences for Israel, Turkey, Syria and the Gulf.
 
A report suggests that by 2020 thanks to Shale oil America may cease to be dependent on oil from the Gulf and the US might exit from the Middle East but the region will continue to play an important role in oil price stability and the US will remain dependent on this. It will also always actively support Israel against aggressors.
 
Palestinians wonder if they will ever have their own state. Dr Spencer concludes that the EU –Arab League Foreign Minister’s summit may offer some alternative to rethinking who decides what in the Middle East.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said in an interview that it is essential that America takes a leading role in the Middle East Peace process but this is a role the US may have tired of.