padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
Perhaps if we're talking about India, Pakistan, etc. the I/P issue might not have as much weight, but certainly (and the current polls are reflecting this), in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, etc. this is the number one issue America must deal with to improve relations in the Middle East. For instance, Lebanon is about to go to elections so are probably concerned that if they vote for a Hezbollah coalition government if the U.S. are going to be cool with that.
2 of those countries already have treaties w/Israel, Syria is the most hardline country on Israel, Lebanon is a mess (which the Israelis had a large hand in, of course, along with Syria). I think also the Lebanese elections - at least as I understand it - depend more on a few Maronite swing votes than on the U.S.' attitude towards Hizballah. Joe Biden essentially admitted that America will keep funding the Lebanese Armed Forces regardless of who wins.
what do you mean by "improve relations"? for whom, with whom? to what end?