Obama opens a ‘new page’ in Middle East

Barack Obama was praised for opening a "new page" in relations with the Middle East in a "remarkable" keynote speech to the Muslim world in Cairo.

As White House officials anxiously assessed the reaction to one of the US President's most important addresses yet, in which he declared he wanted a "new beginning" between the US and Muslims, early reaction to the speech was favourable.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said: "It was a remarkable speech, a speech that without any doubt is going to open a new page in relations with the Arab-Muslim world."

Mr Obama said he wanted to end a cycle of "suspicion and discord".

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called his senior ministers and aides to a summit, ordering them not to speak about the speech until the official reaction was released.

The Israeli government said it shared Mr Obama's hope that his attempt to reach out to the Muslim world would be "the beginning of the end" of conflict and lead to general Arab recognition of Israel. The Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers gave a conciliatory response to the speech, which laid out a fresh US blueprint for Middle East peace, including a new Palestinian state and attempts to defuse a nuclear showdown with Iran. He also called on the militant group to recognise Israel's right to exist.

"It had many contradictions, all the while reflecting tangible change," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum. "It is a speech that plays on sentiment and is filled with civilities, which leads us to believe that he aimed to embellish America's image in the world."

Afghan president Hamid Karzai's office said the speech would be received positively in Afghanistan. Essam El-Erian, head of Egypt's Islamist opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, said: "Obama was charismatic and convinced the Arab world he is with us. It's a good start, but we're waiting for action on the ground, like closing Guantanamo, withdrawal from Iraq and ending the war in Afghanistan."

In the US, Senator John Kerry, chairman of the foreign relations committee, said: "President Obama's blunt, honest address in Cairo was critical in signalling a new era of understanding with Muslim communities worldwide."