BOTH the US and Israel have realized that to counter and halt Iran's nuclear program they have to placate the Arab states. One of the points they tend to highlight is that a nuclear powered Iran will be a threat to all Arab states.

Iran is a Shi'ite majority country, while its neighouring Arab states are Sunni-dominated. The on-going sectarian strife between Shi'ia and Sunni in Iraq makes it clear to Arab states that Iran will gradually overwhelm them with its power and influence, creating a

new political architecture.

Washington has been playing the tune that a re-alignment is occurring in the Middle East, one that groups Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon with Israel against Iran, Syria, Hezbollah of Lebanon and Hamas of Palestine. Washington has urged Riyadh to take a leading role in such a realignment.

The US and Israel have also realized that unless some visible action is taken to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict their "Iran card" cannot be sold easily to Arab states. Accordingly, the US Secretary of State Dr. Rice

visited the area twice recently, and had discussions with the leaders of Arab states as to how to begin negotiations between Israel and the Palestine authority.

The three issues that are fundamental to resolution of the conflict are:

• Status of Jerusalem.

• Delimitation of a stable border between Israel and the Palestine state.

• The question of return of Palestinian refugees to Israel.

It seems from media reports that neither the US nor Israel wants to deal with these core issues. They want to deal only with day-to-day

issues, such as movement of Palestinian people within their territory.

The Saudi Arab initiative of a peace plan, which incorporates Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories to the pre-1967 border, in return for recognition of Israel by all Arab states, has been rejected by Israel. Israel on the other hand cleverly wants to play the "Iran card."

Saudi Arabia has been proactive in diplomacy, and is replacing Egypt in brokering peace among Arab nations. Saudi Arabia has been able to bring about peace between the Hamas and the Fatah

groups of Palestinians to form a unity government, and created an understanding between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. Saudi Arabia also helped Iraq to convene a conference in which the US, Iran, Syria and Iraq discussed the stabilization of the situation in Iraq.

The Arab League Summit in Riyadh on March 28-29, which King Abdullah hosted, saw the Saudi King assailing the US role in Iraq as "illegal." He warned that unless Arab governments settled their differences foreign powers like the US would continue to dictate the region's policies.

The King's opening speech at the Summit underscored differences between Saudi Arabia and the Bush administration. The Saudis seem to be saying that they will not be beholden to the policies of their long time ally in the region.

The King reportedly cancelled a dinner in his honour at the White House next month. This is a clear message to Washington that the flawed policies pursued in the

Middle East by the Bush administration pose a danger to the region. It seems that Saudi Arabia is not easily buying the "Iran card" so skillfully presented by Israel and the US.

Saudi Arabia is angry that Israel and the US continue to boycott the new unity government in Palestine simply because there are some Hamas ministers. The Saudi King called for an end to the international boycott of the new unity government of Palestine. The British and French governments did not exactly follow the US policy, and want to deal with Palestine ministers from Fatah group.

The King's comments seem to be a response to Rice's remark on March 26, when she called on Arab governments to "begin reaching out to Israel." The US and Israel want to make changes in the Saudi Peace Plan for Israel and the Palestinians, first introduced in 2002 and now revived again. The Saudi plan calls for a Palestinian state with East

Jerusalem as its capital.

Regarding the Palestinians, the King reportedly said: "It has become necessary to end the unjust blockade imposed on the Palestinian people as soon as possible so that the peace process can move in an atmosphere far from oppression and force."

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon gave a stark assessment to the Arab League Summit, saying that the region was "more complex, more fragile, and more dangerous than it has been for a very long time." This remark goes against what the Bush administration wants everyone to believe, that their policies in the ME region are slowly working.

Washington and Tel Aviv are disappointed that the "Iran Card" could not be easily sold to Arab states, in particular to Saudi Arabia. They must realize that until and unless the Palestinian conflict is resolved, no progress can be made either in Iraq or any other part of the region.

The Palestinian conflict is

emotive for all Arabs, and occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel reflects the arrogance of power of Israel. Unless the US pursues a policy that is inclusive and impartial, and holds Israel and the Palestinians accountable in practical terms, both the US and Israel will be bogged down in the quagmire of politics in the Middle East, and the "Iran Card" will be of no use in drawing out the split between Shi'ites against Sunnis in the Middle East.

The bottom line is that the US and Israel must consider the issues of equity and balance in their policy. Achange of policy will occur when they apply a single standard of morality and law to the Israelis and the Arabs. If double standard remains the norm their policy, including the "Iran card," is not likely to generate support in the Middle East.

Barrister Harun ur Rashid is a former Bangladesh Ambassadorto the UN, Geneva.