Washington, July 10: US President Barack Obama has said that his outreach to the Islamic world is aimed at reducing the danger posed to Israel and the West from the hostile Muslim world.
“I think what this arises from, some of it may just be the fact that my middle name is Hussein, and that creates suspicion,” Mr Obama said in an interview to the Israeli TV when asked about the anxiety among the Israelis on his increasing outreach to the Muslim world. “Some of it may have to do with the fact that I have actively reached out to the Muslim community, and I think that sometimes, particularly in West Asia, there’s the feeling of the friend of my enemy must be my enemy,” he said.
“The truth of the matter is, is that my outreach to the Muslim community is designed precisely to reduce the antagonism and the dangers posed by a hostile Muslim world to Israel and to the West,” Mr Obama said.
“There are people in Israel who are anxious about you… Who, you know, I’m quoting their sentiments, feel like you don’t have a special connection to Israel. How do you respond to that?” he was asked.
“Well, it’s interesting, this is the thing that actually surfaced even before I was elected President, in some of the talk that was circulating within the Jewish American community,” Mr Obama said.
-Agencies