,Chile as models for Egypt

President Obama elaborated on his optimistic vision for Egypt and for democratic change in the Middle East in a previously unreported exchange with American Jewish leaders Tuesday.
At the White House meeting, Obama suggested that Egypt could transform itself into a democracy on the model of Indonesia, Chile, or South Korea, according to a person at the event and to another's detailed, contemporaneous notes provided to POLITICO.
Obama told the group that both American and Israeli leaders had to recognize the rapid change in the Middle East, and stressed to the group -- deeply concerned with Israel's security -- that the changes reflected that Arab dictators' attempts to distract their people by fanning anti-Semitism had stopped working. According to the detailed notes, Obama said the US and Israel -- in an implicit rebuke to Israel's public sorrow at Hosni Mubarak's departure -- must be clear, public "champions" of democratic values.
Obama also expressed optimism that the Egyptian Army would serve as a "stabilizing" force in the country, according to the notes.
In response to questions, Obama suggested that regional change would have its limits. He told the group Saudi Arabia is unlikely to move toward a democracy soon because of its conservative society and its great wealth, though he said the Saudi government is aware of the need to manage a younger generation with access to information through platforms like Facebook.
Obama also suggested that the U.S. could have an opportunity to pry Syria from Iran's orbit, but said that the diplomatic ball is in the court of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The Tuesday meeting with several dozen leaders of major Jewish organizations offered Obama an opportunity largely to re-iterate his criticism of Israeli intransigence on settlements, as well as some criticism of Palestinian passivity. But he said he believes Palestinian Authority Presdent Mahmoud Abbas who is 76, is eager to leave a legacy of peacemaking.
The regional context, Obama said, offers a "pivotal" moment for the peace process.