海角大神

President Obama on Thursday implored the world not to sit on the sidelines of the relaunched Israeli-Palestinian negotiations but to actively support two parties that he said could, with courage, deliver an independent Palestine within a year.

In his as president to the annual September opening of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Obama in particular upbraided the world鈥檚 many declared friends of the Palestinian people, whom he said are not doing enough to support a successful outcome in the talks.

鈥淢any in this hall count themselves as friends of the Palestinians. But these pledges must now be supported by deeds,鈥� Obama said, calling on Arab states in particular to give robust support to the Palestinian leadership and to 鈥渟eize this opportunity鈥� by normalizing relations with Israel as promised in the Arab Peace Initiative.

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Obama鈥檚 reception by the 192-member UN was less enthusiastic than last year, when the world body openly demonstrated its relief at the departure of George W. Bush and its approval of the first American president of color. But with his novelty worn off, Obama was interrupted by applause only twice: when he declared an independent Palestine an achievement within reach, and when he called for a redoubled effort 鈥渢o protect the rights of women around the world.鈥�

Indeed Obama 鈥� who encountered stiff criticism in the first year of his administration for what was often perceived as halting support for human rights in countries ranging from Iran and Burma to China 鈥� dedicated the second half of his speech to what he said was the UN鈥檚 original duty of protecting and promoting the inalienable rights of every human being.

For the second day in a row, Obama told world leaders assembled at the UN that the United States would be a leader and a partner in the pursuit of global peace and security, but would no longer (and by implication could no longer) carry out these pursuits on its own. On Wednesday, Obama unveiled a new US global development policy that envisions the US as a partner to developing countries that are demonstrating an ability to realize their own citizens鈥� potential.

Obama鈥檚 tone may not have been well-received by everyone in the hall, but some specialists in US-UN relations consider it a 鈥渞efreshing鈥� sign of a more mature relationship.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e hearing from [Obama] at the UN reflects a new style of post-hegemonic leadership,鈥� says Michael Doyle, a professor of US foreign and security policy at Columbia University in New York. 鈥淚t says the US cannot carry all the burden of nurturing world order, and emphasizes the responsibility of other countries to take on their fair share.鈥�

Obama鈥檚 is 鈥渢he right tone鈥� for an era of emerging new powers and a large crop of stable young democracies in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia, says Mr. Doyle, who is also a former UN official. 鈥淚t calls on them to not only continue to strengthen at home the human rights and democracy that have allowed them to prosper,鈥� he adds, but to "accept an appropriate level of responsibility in promoting those rights elsewhere.鈥�

Obama鈥檚 public entreaty to Arab countries to get behind the Middle East peace process is another reflection of this new leadership style, Doyle says. 鈥淚n the past the Palestinian issue has been used by many countries in the region especially more as a baseball bat to beat Israel with than as an attempt to realize the legitimate national aspirations of the Palestinian people,鈥� he says. 鈥淥bama is calling for all these people to play a more responsible role.鈥�

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