RIYADH: A new Middle East peace initiative is on cards. Crown Prince Abdullah’s visit to the US has sparked a new chain of events in the region, which ultimately may help is solving the Arab-Israel issue in a peaceful and just manner. If global pundits are to be believed, a fresh, yet unannounced joint Saudi-US peace initiative, to find a solution to the decades old Palestinian-Israeli imbroglio, has taken shape and is already in operation.

Over the five days of prolonged deliberations between the Saudis and their US counterparts while Prince Abdullah and his entourage was in the US, and not five hours as we were initially led to believe by the press, a new strategy was agreed upon between the US and the Saudi Arabia to stabilize the region..

Ever since early March, while the Beirut Arab summit was still to discuss and ratify the Saudi peace plan, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states have been clamouring for a much more intensive US “engagement” and involvement in the deteriorating situation in the region. Without the US involvement in the overall scenario, it was felt, it may not be possible to rein in Sharon from an aggressive, non-bending posture.

Hence Arab diplomacy was at work all these weeks, trying to influence the US administration to be even handed in its approach and be more pro-active in finding a resolution of the issue. Crown Prince Abdullah was at the fore-front of the Arab initiative to “engage the US” as much as possible and sway it away from the ”hands off” policy that the Bush administration has been far more inclined in recent months.

As reported, the new strategy is based on four principles; A ceasefire and complete withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the West Bank, an international peace conference with the involvement of the EU, the United Nations and Russia to find out a just solution of the Arab-Israel issue in line with the Saudi peace plan adopted by the Beirut Arab summit and an eventual creation of an independent Palestinian state.

The initial results of the new initiative are already apparent. The lifting of the Israeli siege around the Ramallah compound of the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is believed to be the result of an intense behind the scene manoeuvres of the US government. All of a sudden, Israel had to accept that President Arafat is not only relevant but is the person with whom a peace deal, if any, has to be struck.

Crown Prince Abdullah, it is believed has been in constant touch with President Arafat while these negotiations were taking place. Other Arab leaders have also been in constant touch with the under siege Ramallah compound, but were also instrumental in coaxing President Arafat to accept the offer. While the US was coaxed to finally shelve its “hand off” policy, the new initiative also thrust upon Saudi Arabia a lead role in the entire episode.