Joyce Karam Al Arabiya It was only fitting that US Secretary of State John Kerry announced another traditional trip to the Middle East on the same day that the US embassy in Cairo withdrew its tweet advancing the case for Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef as he faces intimidation from the Morsi government. The two events, while unrelated, show the degree to which the Obama administration has lost touch with the Arab public, and is focussed on pursuing a risk averse agenda that prioritizes relations with regional leaders. Kerry is making his third trip in less than two months to the Middle East this weekend where he will stop in Turkey, Israel and the Palestinian territories. The goals for now are to boost Turkish-Israeli ties after Israel's apology, and to push for direct talks between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The news on the trip was interrupted by the US Embassy in Cairo temporarily shutting down its Twitter account, then reactivating it after deleting the tweet that angered Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and the office of President Mohamed Morsi. The tweet included a link to the US comedian Jon Stewart's clip defending Youssef, who is currently under interrogation by the Muslim Brotherhood government. By authorizing the deactivation of the account and then the removal of the tweet, US ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson has chosen the ties with Morsi over speaking to the outrage of millions of Egyptians. In a way, it's a missed opportunity to connect with those Egyptians who see in Youssef's interrogation a slap in the face of freedom of expression and a return to the Mubarak's era of intimidation. The embassy did not only withdraw the tweet, but also rolled back the entire Twitter feed to the pre-Youssef case. The updated feed does not even include a condemnation of Morsi's actions, as if time stopped for the embassy on March 26th and Obama's visit to Israel. This is not the first time the US embassy has chosen to reduce the pressure on Morsi. In the past year, Washington ignored the demands of the Egyptian opposition to pressure Morsi for more inclusive policies, and Washington has gradually adapted to controversial policies the Egyptian leader pursued including a constitutional referendum and pushing ahead with Parliamentary elections on April 22nd despite an opposition boycott. Kerry's trip appears to be centered around that same traditional framework that the embassy is pursuing. In broader terms, Kerry's effort is an example of the shuttle diplomacy that his predecessors have taken. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton set a record of 956,733 miles traveling as the US top diplomat, and prior to that Condoleezza Rice made 24 trips to Israel and the Palestinian territories trying to salvage a peace agreement, until leaving office empty handed in 2008. Kerry's discussions will primarily focus on “security guarantees” for Israel in the Jordan Valley and resuming Turkish-Israeli cooperation. These are all key issues for US interests in the region but they don't speak to the Arab street. The peace process, while still central to regional stability, is no longer a priority for the Arab public. The humanitarian crisis in Syria, the controversial actions of the emerging Muslim Brotherhood governments in Egypt and Tunisia, and the economic decline are more urgent concerns for the Arab street. To all of those, the Obama administration has no coherent message in the post-Arab revolts of 2011. While the Cairo speech in 2009 brought hope that a US president with an Arab middle name could finally connect with the public, that euphoria is gone and the mistrust in America's role and political intentions is alive and well in the Arab world. The US is viewed as too calculated and disingenuous when it comes to addressing critical Arab concerns and defending freedom of expression. Syria's descent into chaos, and Morsi's power grab - both taking place despite Obama's warnings - drive this cynicism among Arabs about the US role in the region. Kerry could have related more to Arabs by visiting a Syrian refugee camp while in Turkey, and Ambassador Patterson could have done the administration more service by going to Tahrir Square or at least authorizing one tweet that shows solidarity with Bassem Youssef. Traditional diplomacy still matters in the Middle East but so does active engagement with the Arab public. Neither the Obama administration's Twitter feed nor its diplomats can afford getting stuck in the old diplomatic structure that chooses to remain quiet about popular concerns as it courts vulnerable leaders. — Joyce Karam is the Washington Correspondent for Al-Hayat Newspaper. Follow her on Twitter: @Joyce_Karam
