Saudi paper says US President’s fine words had dissolved into meaninglessness and that American hand had vanished

Saudi daily Arab News said Friday that US President Barack Obama’s fine words had dissolved into meaninglessness and stressed that the American hand had vanished.

“Despite his condemnation, Israel continued with the settlements; despite his implied promise of support for a Palestinians state, it did not happen. The reality was a US which refused to force the Israelis to the negotiating table.”

According to the Saudi daily, the American president has been at it again. “Yesterday he offered a second keynote speech to the region, this time specifically — apparently — for Arab ears. Again, there were fine, noble words. He talked about reform in the region, about human rights, democracy, justice and hope. He talked about the right of women, of religious minorities. He condemned oppressive regimes, and he offered billions of dollars to those governments that would support democracy.”

The Saudi daily said Obama might as well have been speaking in a soundproof box. “The only people who were listening were the Americans and the West. Even before he opened his mouth, Arabs were in no mood to trust him or believe in him. They have heard enough of his honeyed words. They have seen the reality of his sharp deeds, such as the US veto of the UN resolution last February condemning Israel’s settlements policy.”

“How can anyone trust a man that says he opposes Israel’s settlements but then vetoes the right of anyone else to do something about it?” the daily warned. It concluded that the more Obama talks, the less he is believed; the more he moralizes, the less he is trusted. His credibility is blown, it went on to say.