One of Ours

..."This is the beginning of the end of the Palestinian cause. Our rights are being liquidated alongside our leaders," said one Cairo-based Palestinian diplomat.

During recent weeks Arab governments' efforts to pass a UN Security Council resolution condemning the assassination of Sheikh Yassin fell foul of the US veto. "And there is no reason the US will act differently this time," argued a New York-based Arab diplomat...

...Some Arab capitals also blame the Palestinians, at least partially, for the current situation with some Arab officials arguing that at a time when the Israeli prime minister was quickly moving towards securing US support for unilateral disengagement and the construction of the separation wall the Palestinian Authority was involved in financial corruption and infighting.

"We warned [the Palestinians] repeatedly that they had to get their act together and we told them that the international power play is not in favour of Arabs. They did not budge," one Egyptian official said.

Arab capitals also argue that the PA could have done more to curb militant attacks against Israeli civilians.

Of the $330 million in financial support pledged to the PA in Arab summit resolutions less than 50 per cent was paid in 2002. In 2003 the figure dropped to 15 per cent.

"This is a clear sign of the decline in support for the Palestinians," one Palestinian diplomat commented.

There are no indications that that declining support will be reversed with some Arab capitals arguing that political support should now be conditional on serious Palestinian commitment to reform and the election of a new leadership.

"There is no point in asking the Americans to change their position. They will not, not even if a new administration is elected," said a senior Arab diplomat....

..."sad as the situation is there is not much more that we can do in view of the current state of overall Arab weakness."