King Abdullah told US President Barack Obama during last week’s meeting that Arab patience was “running out” and that solving the Palestinian issue was the “magic key” to finding solutions to all other problems in the region, according to sources quoted by Arabic daily newspaper Al-Hayat on Sunday.
Here are some news stories from today's Al-Arabiya:
* Two people were killed in demonstrations inYemen
* 88 people were arrested during recent unrest in Iran
* Four policemen and two civilians killed in Afghanistan
* Mortar rounds hit the Green Zone in Baghdad. Also a bus station was bombed, killing 7.
* More fighting in Somalia
* Syria is accused of sending drugs to Gulf states via Jordan
* Egyptians fear a coming wheat shortage
* Hezbollah was defeated in the Lebanese elections
Obama could have asked a reasonable question on exactly how resolving the "Palestinian issue" would magically solve all these other problems. But of course, he didn't.
Because, based on his statements, he really believes it.
Once he showed his belief in magic keys, the least he should have done would be to ask the Saudi king for a magic carpet, too.