Reaction to President Barack Obama’s speech Thursday:
“It was actually better than we expected but not as good as we hoped.”
Ayman Nour, a recently freed Egyptian dissident“A courageous speech that requires hard work by all parties involved in advancing the Middle East peace process.”
Shimon Peres, Israel’s figurehead president and Nobel peace laureate
“He seemed to … place equal blame on the Israelis and the Palestinians. I have concerns about this.”
John Boehner, House minority leader
“I challenge any Arab leader to go to the U.S. or the West and quote the Bible like Obama quoted the Koran.”
Rabah al-Mutawa, a Saudi woman in Riyadh
“He’s doing an excellent job of repairing relationships severed by the previous administration.”
Imam Abdur-Rahim Ali, Northeast Denver Islamic Center
“More talk about good Muslims/bad Muslims doesn’t go far in the Muslim world. We’ve heard it all before. … We are not looking for nice words.”
Iman Irahim Kazerooni, Islamic Center of Al-Beit in Lakewood
“Why should we believe this guy?”
Ali Tottah, 82, a Palestinian refugee in Jordan
