WHAT IF IT'S NOT ISRAEL THEY LOATHE?

This column, which originally ran in the Jerusalem Post, questions the conventional wisdom that solving the Israel-Palestine conflict is the most important issue in ending the conflict between the Islamic world and the West. He makes some interesting observations based on conversations he has had in several Arab countries during Ramadan, as well as media coverage of non-Arab Muslims.

I think the point that he leaves out is that because the political elites are so focused on Israel, the concerns of the so-called "common man" cannot be addressed until there is peace between Israel and Palestine.

He also does not deal with why the US might be so hated in the region. I believe it is primarily because we are seen as following in the footsteps of Britain and France's imperial ambitions. Until we sponsored the 1953 coup in Iran, we were widely considered to be friends of the Middle East. Since then, more and more of our involvement in the region has made us look eerily similar to the previous colonial powers.