President Barack Obama gave NPR hosts Michele Norris and Steve Inskeep a preview of the message he intends to carry to the Middle East later this week where he will give a much-awaited speech in Cairo, Egypt aimed at the Muslim world. (Read more NPR coverage of the interview.)

Michele, an All Things Considered host, asked the president what would be his message to Muslims who say the U.S. policy constantly tilts too far towards Israel.

NORRIS: Many people in the region are concerned when they look at the U.S. relationship with Israel, they feel that Israel has favored status in all cases. What do you say to people in the Muslim world who feel that the U.S. has repeatedly over time blindly supported Israel?

THE PRESIDENT: What I'd say there's no doubt that the U.S. has a special relationship with Israel. There are a lot of Israelis who used to be American. There is huge cross-cultural ties between the two countries. I think that as a vibrant democracy that shares many of our values obviously we're deeply sympathetic to Israel.

And I would also say that given past statements surrounding Israel, the notion that they should be driven into the sea, that they should be annihilated, that they should be obliterated, the armed aggression that's been directed towards them in the past, you can understand why not only Israelis would feel concerned but the U.S. would feel it was important to back this stalwart ally.

Now having said all that what is also true is that part of being a good friend is being honest. And I think there have been times where we are not as honest as we should be about the fact that the current direction, the current trajectory in the region is profoundly negative not only for Israeli interests but for U.S. interests. And that's part of a new dialogue I'd like to see encouraged in the region the Muslim countries should be able to understand.

 

Earlier in the conversation, Steve, a Morning Edition host, asked Obama what Muslims should make of how the U.S. has for years called for an end to Israel's building of new West Bank settlements only to be ignored, with the U.S. in turn then continuing its undiminished support of Israel.

STEVE: If the U.S.States says for years that Israel should stop the settlements and for years Israel simply does not, and the U.S. continues to support Israel in roughly the same way, what does that do with American credibility in the Muslim world which you're trying to address?

THE PRESIDENT: Well I think waht is certainly true is that the U.S. has to follow through on what it says. Now as I've said before, I haven't said anything yet because it's early in the process.

But it is important for us to be clear about what we believe will lead to peace and that there's not equivocation and there's not a sense we expect only compromise on one side. It's going to have to be two-sided. I don't think anybody would deny that in theory. When it comes to the concrete, then the politics of it get difficult, both within the Israeli and the Palestinian communities. But if this was easy it would have already been done.