The belated victory of Mr George W. Bush in the US election was generally welcomed in the Arab world because Republicans are widely seen as being less pro-Israel than Democrats.
Only Iraq expressed pessimism about Mr Bush, predicting that he would follow the example of his predecessors, Mr George Bush snr, who waged war against Iraq to liberate Kuwait, and Mr Bill Clinton, whose warplanes continue to bomb that country.
Iraq accused these leaders of "deceiving" the Arabs into believing the US can "deliver a magic solution" to the Arab-Israeli dispute. Kuwaitis, naturally, were pleased to see the son of the man who waged war on their behalf in the White House.
The Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, was upbeat, recalling that the president-elect's father launched the regional peace process in 1991. Palestinian legislator Dr Hanan Ashrawi remarked: "Maybe now there will be an understanding that US interests lie within the Arab world and should involve a more even-handed, comprehensive approach to the region."
The Lebanese Prime Minister, Mr Rafiq Hariri, urged Mr. Bush to work towards the "return of occupied Syrian and Lebanese lands and the realisation of Palestinian rights". Syria's President, Dr Bashar al-Assad, expressed the hope that his country and the US would work together "for a just and comprehensive peace".
In the view of Arab commentators, Mr Bush, who made his multi-million dollar fortune in oil, could adopt an even-handed policy on the Arab-Israeli dispute because he may be prepared to listen to the oil industry as well as the pro-Israel lobby. Mr Bush's running mate, Mr Dick Cheney, a former defence secretary, has served as chief executive at the Dallas-based Halliburton Company, the world's largest oil-field services firm, which does business in the Middle East.
Cheney's opposition to US sanctions on Iran has encouraged analysts to predict that they could be lifted early in the new year. Pressure by US oil companies and multinationals seeking to secure lucrative contracts in Iraq could offset the demands of those in the Bush entourage who are determined to overthrow the government of Mr Saddam Hussein.
Since Iraq has been rehabilitated by many Arab states, this would go down well in the region. Encouraged by the oil connection, Saudi King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah stressed longstanding "ties of friendship" between the US and the kingdom in their congratulatory message.
Arab commentators look forward to a new team to handle peacemaking. Dr Ashrawi blamed Mr Clinton and his appointees for the "collapse of the peace process" because, she said, they had not secured the implementation of agreements which had been reached by the parties.
Dr Ghassan Khatib, a leading Palestinian analyst, agreed. "The development is positive because Mr Clinton is out and cannot continue to play a damaging role."
While the new administration might wish to reduce its involvement in regional politics, Dr Khatib told The Irish Times it will not be able to do so because of the "new reality caused by the intifada and the reversal of the peace process and the negative consequences this has had for the allies of the US".
