"The issue is a derivative of getting Arab support for Iraq and Iran policy," he said.

If the United States is ever to move against Iraq, it needs Arab support.

Nevertheless, the strong Arab support for the agreement was subduing any open challenge by the militias, at least for the moment.

Labor was able to put together its coalition in 1992 with Arab support.

This ruling helped assure Arab support for the embargo.

To pay for it Pakistan would certainly require Arab support.

But he said that the Bush administration might not need peace here to sustain Arab support elsewhere.

It might even gain Arab support for a change of regime in Iraq, should that seem necessary.

But such a surge of violence here would undermine the Bush administration's efforts to build Arab support for a possible strike on Iraq.

Israeli Arab support for a constitution in general was 88 percent.