After the gulf war, the PLO found itself in political and economic isolation as a consequence of its support for saddam hussein. For lsral, the gulf war demonstrated that the united ststes did not necessarily regard lsrael as a "strategic asset" in the region. With the end of the cold war, the united states was now able to build regonal alliances with other arab states, including syria. There was concen in lsael as to the implications of the gulf war and the end of the cold war for the "special relationship" between the united stated and lsrael.