Not in their public rhetoric, but Youssef Ibrahim writes in the New York Sun:

A stark reality is coursing through Arab consciousness: No one cares about Palestine. It has been the case for at least a decade. What's new is that even reasonable Palestinian Arabs now acknowledge the truth of their lost state.

Those 300 million Arabs face far more existential concerns. Bad governance, Iraq's potentially infectious sectarian violence, and economic headaches — collapsing stock markets in rich countries and collapsing living standards in poor ones — threaten their survival.

Meanwhile, the image of a Palestinian Arab state fades like an old family photo, a yellowish tint deepening around its edges, a nostalgic snapshot rather than a call to arms.

The Palestinian Arab spin machine is alive and well, fed mostly by the oil—rich Gulf region's press and broadcast outlets, including satellite networks Al—Jazeera, of Qatar, and Al—Arabiya, of Saudi Arabia. Yet reality creeps in.

"Should someone ask who is really busy with the Palestinian cause, he shall not find a precise answer.

Ed Lasky   4 28 06