President Obama granted his first interview in the White House to the Arabic TV station Al-Arabiya, an interesting move that emphasizes his interest in reaching out to the Arab and Muslim world. This came after he made his first phone call to an Arab leader, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The White House had said that Obama also called the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan’s King Abdallah.