In the Delice coffee shop in the heart of Gaza City customers watched the speech in silence, some paying more attention than others. But there was not a hint of applause, even when Obama talked about the "intolerable" situation facing the Palestinians.
Many said they welcomed his words, but wanted to see action on the ground.
"He touched our emotions, especially when he quoted from the Qur'an," said Ehab Qishawi, a diplomat in the foreign ministry in Gaza. "His words were good, but up to now we haven't seen any policies on the ground. That's what we're waiting for.
"We've had a lot of experience with the Americans and we know that there are always red lines, especially when it comes to the relationship with Israel."
Eyad Galaja, 28, felt the speech was balanced and gave "a direct message to Israel to lift the siege on the Palestinians". The Israeli blockade, which for two years has prevented all exports and most imports to the overcrowded strip, is the dominating feature of life in Gaza, ruining the economy and putting many out of work.
Galaja, who works in the health ministry helping refer patients for treatment abroad, said: "It is easy to say the words, many presidents have given good speeches, but the most important thing is the actions. The first step should be to put pressure on Israel to lift the siege on Gaza, open the commercial crossings and let goods come in."
Others have been more outspoken in their criticism of Obama and the US administration. Asad Abu Shark, a professor of linguistics at al-Azhar University, said he was wary of hearing "sugar-coated language".
"Any American gesture in the right direction is welcome," he said. "If the Americans want an even-handed policy we welcome that, but actions speak louder than words. We don't want to live in hope until we die in despair."
He wants Washington to press Israel to end its blockade of Gaza, end the occupation of the Palestinian territories and allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in what is now Israel.
Abu Shark, whose family are refugees from what is now the Israel city of Ashqelon, believes in a one-state solution to the Middle East conflict, with Israelis and Palestinians living together as citizens of a single, binational state. It is an idea that is gaining ground among Palestinians but is strongly opposed by Israelis.
He was concerned about America's close relationships to the leaders of the Arab world. "If America says they want democracy and then he meets with dictators it means there is a double standard," he said. "They should stop listening to Arab rulers and start listening to the Arab public."
'Osama, Obama, a big drama'
There was interest if not excitement at the New Raja restaurant, a modest lunchtime joint in Islamabad. Mopping up his curry with a chunk of flat bread as he waited for the speech to start, Nisar Ahmed Faizee, a burly trader with a scraggly beard, was sceptical it would change much.
"Osama, Obama – what's the difference?" he said, reaching for his cigarettes. "It's all a big drama."
His languid cynicism was reflected on the streets outside, where men lounged in the shade sipping fruit juice and sheltering from the head-drilling heat of a Pakistani summer. Not many came inside to watch.
"We're not interested," said Anwar Khan, perched behind a counter filled with cheap watches. The cricket friendly between Ireland and the Netherlands played on his tiny television. "For us, Bush and Obama are the same. They are droning us to death."
He was referring to the CIA-led drone strikes against al-Qaida targets in the tribal belt, a common source of anti-American anger in Pakistan.
The traders knew plenty about Islamist violence: down the street lay the Red Mosque, the extremist stronghold where 100 people died during a nine-day siege two years ago.
But back inside the restaurant, under the television, the speech was having a gentle impact. Customers were coming and going, and those watching wore impenetrable expressions, even as the Cairo crowd thundered with applause.
A hard core of about 10 customers watched closely, following the Urdu subtitles. At the front, craning his neck up, was an office clerk named Rafiullah.
"US policy is changing now, inshallah," he said afterwards, singling out the mentions of Israeli policy for praise. "Obama says he is going to try to change it, and I believe him."
Some seemed drawn simply by the image of Obama. "I don't know much," said Muhammad Irshad, a young cobbler. "But at least he's better than Bush."
Afterwards the television channel reverted to the usual diet of Taliban news. Dozens of schoolboys, kidnapped at the weekend, had been freed, it reported.
As the customers turned back to their cups of tea, the consensus view was that the words were welcome, but not enough.
"Good speech. It has created a lot of hope," conceded Nisar Ahmed Faizee, the sceptic. "But saying is one thing, doing is another. Now he has to deliver."
'Muslims want action not beautiful words'
But they were not enough.
"It is part of the American policy just to give us words and not actions," he said. "Muslims around the world want to see actions, not beautiful words."
Zaeef, a former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan who left the movement, now acts as an intermediary in the embryonic peace process between the Taliban and the Afghan government.
But even he has a hard time believing the US has fundamentally changed its posture, and stressed the huge damage done to American credibility by the death of innocent civilians as a result of US airstrikes.
"They are bombing madrassas," he said "When al-Qaida kills one person, America kills 1,000. America says one thing but does another."
Wadir Safi, a professor of law and political science at Kabul University, said the change in tone from the leader of the US was hugely welcome, hailing it as the "best speech ever given by an American president".
"He wants to eliminate the hatred in the Islamic world that existed under President Bush. I saw a respect in Obama's speech towards Islam and the Islamic world that we had not seen before."
Safi added that Obama's strong rejection of the idea that the US wants a permanent military presence in Afghanistan would reassure Russia, Islamabad, Tehran and other regional players suspicious about American intentions.
But Ghulam Nadir, a literary student at the same university, said there was nothing the speech could do to change the perception among many Afghans that the US was hellbent on long-term occupation.
"They are not here to help us, they are here for their own interests and will leave us whenever they want. If Obama was serious about a peace process he would not have sent more troops."
He said the only way to "solve the problem of extremism" was for the US to withdraw support from Israel.
"If America continues to support Israel against Palestine, then the issue of relations between the west and the Islamic world will not be solved."