Obama Talks of Being ‘Honest’ With Israel

Obama Talks of Being ‘Honest’ With Israel
By HELENE COOPER

WASHINGTON — President Obama indicated on Monday that he would be more willing to criticize Israel than previous administrations have been, and he reiterated his call for a freeze of Israeli settlements.

“Part of being a good friend is being honest,” Mr. Obama said in an interview with NPR News. “And I think there have been times where we are not as honest as we should be about the fact that the current direction, the current trajectory, in the region is profoundly negative, not only for Israeli interests but also U.S. interests.

“We do have to retain a constant belief in the possibilities of negotiations that will lead to peace,” he added. “I’ve said that a freeze on settlements is part of that.”

His comments, on the eve of his first trip as president to the Middle East, where he is scheduled to give a speech to the Muslim world in Cairo on Thursday, were made as Israeli officials dug in their heels against a settlement freeze. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said Monday that halting construction in settlements in the West Bank would be equal to “freezing life,” and, therefore, “unreasonable.”

Mr. Obama declined to say what he would do if Israel continued to balk at halting all construction. But he said that Israel needed to hear the truth, as he saw it. He also said that in the past, American officials had not been willing to call things as they saw them. “That’s part of a new dialogue that I’d like to see encouraged in the region,” he said.

Mr. Obama leaves Wednesday morning for a five-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Germany and France. Israel is not on his itinerary. In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he is expected to press King Abdullah to engage more fully on Arab-Israeli peace and to make an overture to Israel, possibly a tall order. In a separate interview with the BBC on Monday, Mr. Obama hinted at that, saying, “I think we have not seen a set of potential gestures from other Arab states, or from the Palestinians, that might deal with some Israeli concerns.”

Many in the Muslim world are waiting to see what Mr. Obama will do if, as expected, Israel ignores his request on the settlements. When asked about this during the NPR interview, Mr. Obama indicated that he was not yet ready to stipulate an “or else,” despite the fact that several American presidents before him have demanded settlement freezes in Israel and been ignored.

“The United States has to follow through on what it says,” Mr. Obama said.

He added: “I haven’t said anything yet because it’s still early in the process. They’ve formed a government, what, a month ago?”

Mr. Obama also dismissed criticism that he should not deliver his speech to the Muslim world from Cairo because of Egypt’s poor record in upholding human rights. “It’s a mistake to suggest that we’re not going to deal with countries around the world in the absence of them meeting all our demands,” he said.