In his latest move to quell negative sentiment, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert opened up Jerusalem’s doors to the possibility of hosting a meeting with all Arab heads of state, including his newfound friend, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

Israel and Saudi Arabia have a common interest in balancing the threatening Shiite powerhouse of Iran. Olmert stated in his Passover toast two weeks ago that “influential Arab countries are beginning to understand that Israel is not their greatest concern; this marks a revolutionary change in their outlook.”

Olmert’s offer to host a summit for Arab heads of state, which was announced during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 1, came in response to the Arab League’s offer to normalize relations with Israel by putting its 2002 peace initiative back on the table. The terms of the proposed agreement: “Israeli withdrawal from territories captured in 1967; the resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue; and the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital” (isn Security Watch, April 4).

Israeli strongman Ariel Sharon rejected this proposal in 2003, but in the face of Iran’s steady rise to prominence in the Middle East, Olmert seems to think he will win back public support by accepting the offer of talks. Noting this shift in regional dynamics, Stratfor commented April 2,

The Israeli prime minister feels he can flaunt the Arab peace offer as an achievement of efforts to make the Jewish state more secure, especially after the rise of Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran.The Israelis also are watching the manner in which Saudi Arabia under King Abdullah has emerged as the leader of the Arab world.… Israel knows that in the long run its security is dependent on its ability to normalize relations with the Arab world, which would complement its military superiority. Israel also knows that if there is one state that can play an instrumental role in according it recognition in the wider Muslim world, it is Saudi Arabia.

Not wanting to upset their respective Shiite or Zionist right, both Saudi Arabia and Israel face a daunting task in successfully creating a negotiated settlement. In attempting such an agreement, Stratfor correctly assesses, “a lot could go wrong.”

Bible prophecy reveals that such a positive settlement between Israel and Arab states will never be concluded. Instead, most Sunni states will align with an unlikely ally in a German-led Europe. For more information on the real alliance now developing in the Middle East, read “Should America Ally With Arabs Against Iran?”