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Source: http://www.aa.com.tr/en/rss/510271--palestine-cause-eclipsed-by-arab-turmoil-experts
Experts: Palestine Cause Eclipsed by Arab Turmoil
(Anadolu-Turkey) As Palestinians mark the Nakba (Arabic for "catastrophe") on May 15, the date on which the State of Israel was established in 1948, observers argue that ongoing political upheaval in several Arab countries has largely shifted the focus away from the Arab-Israeli conflict, pushing the plight of the Palestinians further off the agenda of most Arab governments. "The Palestinian cause has become much less of a priority on both the international and Arab levels," said Tarek Fahmi, political science professor at the American University in Cairo. "Arab regimes are preoccupied with the tumultuous ramifications of post-revolution transition phases, which has taken the focus off the Palestinian file." Talal al-Atrissi, director of the Lebanon-based Center for Strategic Studies, noted, "Priority had earlier been given to negotiations related to resolving the Arab-Israeli struggle. But currently, the focus has shifted to issues like combating extremist groups and averting fresh popular revolts."