The assumption was that the election position of the American president or congressmen on the Middle East issues might be an indication of their future course of action. Arab brotherhood obligated candidates to use Palestine as their yardstick.

However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, on which most of the hard-line countries depended for their support, and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait Arabs awoke to a new reality. They found Arab brotherhood more myth than reality. The Arab adage of "me and my cousin against my enemy" was shattered. Political pragmatism and national interest won the day.

The lack of a unified stance on the recent Israel-Hezbollah war, the ongoing tragedy of Iraq and the indifference with which they view the inter-Palestinian conflict is a testimony to this new Realpolitik in the Arab world. This is why Arab countries may no longer care who controls the American Congress.

Most of the oil-rich Gulf countries know their friendship with America depends on mutual interest. America needs their oil and they need American market and American protection against bellicose neighbors. This relationship seems rock-solid -- no matter who dominates the Capital Hill or the White House.

From the Arab street perspective, however, one may empathize with the general view that subscribes to the Democrats being less belligerent and more compromising in their foreign policy. And in the background of the ongoing bloodshed in Iraq, Afghanistan, the deadlock in Israeli-Palestinian situation, the unfolding developments on the Iranian nuclear issue and the open-ended war on terrorism, many Muslim and Middle Eastern people may only hope that a Democratic Congress could usher in a new era of peace and co-existence between world civilizations.