US makes two major Mideast moves

But cynicism isn't universal among regional analysts. In Egypt and Saudi Arabia some see this as progress, or at least an opportunity for it.

Prof. Abdel Monem Said, director of the al-Ahram Strategic Studies Center, a think tank in Cairo, says he is not holding his breath for any monumental sea change in the region, but nonetheless can't stop himself from feeling hopeful.

"There will always be those for whom anti-Americanism is a philosophy, and runs deeper than any move the Americans might make," he says. "Also, we have past experience of promises which ended up disappointing." But, he stresses, "We should wait and see the results of these moves before dismissing them. They sound good."

"I believe we as Arabs have a role to play in the future of the region beyond criticizing the US," adds Professor Said. "We have a duty to create the regional support on which to build a successful peace process. That's not the job of the US alone. It starts with us accepting responsibility."

David Dadonn, Israeli's ambassador to Jordan, and a former ambassador to Morocco, is also hopeful that positive change is on the way.

"Of course good can come of the current situation," he says. The US appears eager and ready to engage in the Israeli-Palestinian situation, says the ambassador. "There is great anger at the US in the Arab world," he says, "and Arab leaders are saying, 'You say you are interested in liberation - so what about the Palestinians?' There is pressure on the US to act."

Israel, he says, is not worried about this pressure. On the contrary. "We don't even need US pressure at this point to remind us that we have to take real steps so as not to miss the opportunity at hand," he says.

"If [new Palestinian Authority Prime Minister] Abu Mazen stops the terror, we will begin negotiations ... and once that happens I believe the Jordanians and Egyptians will return their ambassadors to Israel," says Dadonn. "Tunis, Morocco, Oman, and perhaps other countries in the region will also think about opening or reopening missions in Israel."

Meanwhile, Saudi political analyst Turad Al Amri, director of the Jeddah-based Saeed Al Amri Center for Strategic Studies, also allows room for optimism when assessing the recent announcement pertaining to his country. He dismisses arguments that the US troop deployment from the Kingdom is a concession to Osama bin Laden, and says rather that the move will deprive Al Qaeda's leader of a key propaganda weapon.

"Neither bin Laden nor anyone else can use this as an excuse for fighting America anymore," he says. "This could give credibility to the royal family and could strengthen the hand of those in the Kingdom trying to enact reforms in the face of the religious establishment."

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