Gulf newspapers gave a lukewarm response the speech by President Obama, which one Saudi newspaper criticised as more “fine words”.

“The American president has been at it again,” the Saudi daily Arab News said in an editorial.

“Two years ago, President Barack Obama reached out to the Muslim world in Cairo, promising a new beginning to America’s relationship with it. The Muslim world responded enthusiastically... but over the following months it became clear that there was nothing to reach out and grab.”

The paper argued that Arabs were no longer interested in listening to Mr Obama.

“He might as well have been speaking in a soundproof box. The only people who were listening were the Americans and the West. Even before he opened his mouth, Arabs were in no mood to trust him or believe in him.”

Syria: The speech offered nothing new but simply reaffirmed Washington’s staunch support for Israel, Syria’s official SANA news agency said on Friday.

“The US president’s speech on the Middle East had nothing new as far as his country’s policies on the peace process, the situation in Iraq or security or regional stability are concerned,” the news agency said.

It added that Mr Obama’s speech, carried live on Syrian television, “reaffirmed the deep-rooted and unwavering support for Israel’s security.”

The government newspaper Al-Thawra criticised Mr Obama saying: “He speaks under the banner of democracy without knowing the meaning of the word.”

It accused the US president of “arrogance” in calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to embrace democracy or step down.

Germany: Germany welcomed the speech coming out in favour of a Palestinian state based on 1967 lines and his support for democracy movements in the Arab world.

“I welcome the fact that President Obama spoke out so clearly and in such engaged fashion in favour of a comprehensive and fair two-state solution,” Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement.

“We will support all efforts that make progress in this direction possible.”

Mr Westerwelle added that Mr Obama’s comments on the “Arab spring” series of revolts was a “powerful signal of support for democratic change in North Africa and the Arab world as a whole.