A Growing US-Arab Disconnect

Edmund Ghareeb

The recent international crisis over Iraq has shown that there is a growing disconnect between the US and its traditional friends in the Arab world. Diplomatic and political tensions between the US and the Arab world are nothing new. US support for Israel has long alienated many in the region. But the events of the past ten months appear to be cutting much deeper and are affecting areas which had previously been immune to foreign policy differences: education, trade, tourism and public attitudes. Historically, and despite political differences with the US, most Arabs held positive views of America. They admired American openness, tolerance, freedom, its technological advances and its dynamism. Many loved American films, music and culture. Millions enjoyed American consumer goods, wanted to send their kids to study in the US and dreamt of immigrating to America.

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