Recently Israeli politicians were busy preparing for the meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. Doubts of possible pressure from the United States to oblige Israel to reach a peace agreement with Palestinians were felt.
However, Prime Minister Netanyahu started his International tour by visiting Jordan. According to him, the Arab world has something to share with Israel regarding the Iranian threat. However, the agreement between Israel and the Arab world on the importance of limiting the Iranian influence in the Middle East does not seem to bring any benefit unless Israel shows a kind of interest in acting to end the Arab Israeli conflict.

A few days ago, the CIA director made a visit to Israel and President Obama stated that Israel should not surprise America by making any move against Iran. However, unconfirmed sources stated that the United States will give Iran an opportunity to stop its nuclear activities until October 2009. Israel seems to be determined to put an end to the Iranian threat in the area. At the same time, Israel seems to have a few options for dealing with Iran.

In order to face Iran, Israel and the United States will need support from the Arab world. This support includes preventing any kind of Arab interference if Israel or the United States decides to attack Iran with force. If Israel and the Arab main countries reach an agreement regarding the Iranian threat, Iran will be in a weaker state since its main allies such as Hezbollah, Syria, and Hamas will not be able to support it. However, the only way to convince the Arabs not to participate in any action to support Iran is by making a kind of progress in the Peace process regarding the Israeli Arab conflict.

By doing this, the Arab governments will find it easier to convince the Arab peoples not to support Iran and consider it a threat instead. Currently, most of the Arab peoples would like the idea of supporting anyone including the devil himself in order to get the Palestinians, Lebanese, and Syrian rights back.

Israel does not seem to be ready to make compromises regarding its conflict with the Palestinians and this makes the situation more complicated. Yesterday Israeli foreign affairs deputy considers the Syrian President a dictator who is not ready for peace. On the other side, many Arab officials including the Syrian President stated that Israel is not ready for a true peace process in the area.

The only side who really wants to see an agreement between Israel and the Arab world is the United States; the reason is that such an agreement will make it easier to oblige Iran to stop its activities without having to face a new war that would be a disaster for everyone in the area.

Although Arab countries such as Jordan and Egypt showed a kind of interest in cooperating with Israel, both of them and the majority of the Arab world will not be ready to support Israel without a true move by Israel in the direction of peace with the Palestinians. So the question is whether Israel is ready to make such a move? Or will simply work upon its usual plan and face Iran by force and risk?

Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad

A Palestinian-Arab living in East Jerusalem, Ziad graduated from College Des Freres in Jerusalem in 2003. Ziad finished his major in International Relations and English Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ziad is a former President of the Watan student movement at the university. He is interested in Middle Eastern political issues and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Founder of the Middle East Post and MEL (Middle East Future Leadership Network), he represents Palestinian youth at several international conferences.

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