Palestinian observers and analysts believe the ongoing upheaval in the Arab World have negatively influenced the Palestinian cause, making the chances of resolving Palestinian conflicts with Israel "slim."

The widespread unrest changed the political map of the Middle East, particularly when the worldwide Muslim Brotherhood movement became the ruling power in many countries, including Egypt.

In the past, the Palestinian cause featured numerous contacts between Israel and Arab countries, such as Egypt and Jordan in coordination with the United States. Nowadays, however, such efforts substantially decline.

According to some analysts, the only "winner" out of regional changes is Israel, but the Palestinians' bid for UN membership outrages both Israel and the United States and may stir the standing water.

Insisting on freezing all the Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, West Bank and east Jerusalem before resuming peace talks with Israel has become meaningless, therefore the Palestinians should thoroughly think about other alternatives.

ARABS NEGLECT PALESTINIAN CAUSE

Over the past two years, Arab countries mentioned relatively less about the Palestinian cause and the Palestinians' conflicts with Israel, mainly due to the unrest that hit across the Middle East region.

Adnan Abu Aamer, dean of the Faculty of Arts at al-Umma University in Gaza, told Xinhua that the Palestinian cause has become "an abstract political slogan" for many regional countries.

During the upheaval, anti-government forces were more concerned about "seeking freedom, justice and fighting corruption," rather than the long-time Palestinian issue, Aamer said. As a result, the Palestinian topic wasn't present in demonstrations and rallies in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Syria, but only got on the agenda later during Arab elections.

The secular Palestinian leadership, mainly President Mahmoud Abbas and other left-wing parties, were much concerned about the religious coalition between Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Hamas movement which rules the Gaza Strip.

"Hamas Premier Ismail Haneya was received as a hero when he visited Tunis, and Hamas fired into the air as celebrations when Mohamed Morsi won the Egyptian presidential elections," Aamer noted. "This would encourage Hamas not to achieve reconciliation with Fatah party."

WESTERN SUPPORT DECLINES

It is obvious that the West has reduced their efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as they were busy coping with the dramatic development in the Middle East.

Ahmed Awad, a political analyst and academic from the West Bank, told Xinhua "Under this circumstance, speaking about a fair solution to the Palestinian cause was totally vague."

Awad expected that this situation will last for a long time, while the Arab nations and their new leadership deal with various economical, political and social problems. The Palestinians won't be the focus of world's attention for quite some time, the analyst predicted.

Besides, the Palestinians face problems different from people of other Arab countries, therefore have different aims and expectations.

"The Palestinians have nothing against the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank or against Hamas administration in Gaza. All they want is to end the internal division and achieve reconciliation to be unified, so as to end the Israeli occupation and establish their independent state," said Awad.

TOO EARLY TO SEE CLEARLY

Observers believe it is still too early to judge what the uprising in Arab countries would achieve.

Hani Habib, a Gaza-based political analyst, told Xinhua that it is still immature to clearly see the goals of the Arab uprising, or to say if the Arabs are really concerned about resolving the Palestinian cause. "Currently, the Palestinian cause is not in the slogans of the revolutions," he noted.

He believe Egypt is the only country which is more involved in the Palestinian cause and wants to end the division between Hamas and PNA, because the Palestinian cause is part of Egypt's national security.

Regardless of the changes and developments in the Arab arena, the Palestinians must find a way to make their cause present, analysts said.