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Russia's Mideast Role A Plus for Palestinians

Active Russian involvement in the Middle East will be welcomed by Palestinians, as they seek to counter Israel's hold on US policy.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin stand with children during a welcoming ceremony for Putin in the West Bank town of Bethlehem June 26, 2012.  REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR345WH
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin stand with children during a welcoming ceremony for Putin in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, June 26, 2012. — REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman

The Russian-American breakthrough that has averted an attack on Syria for using chemical weapons has given some in the Middle East hope that such cooperation can be helpful in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

While this week marks the 40th anniversary of the 1973 war, few are suggesting that the current US-Russian cooperation is anything akin to the Cold War. But the presence of a second power, albeit, much less powerful than America, does provide possibilities for shaking up a unipolar world, especially in the volatile Middle East.

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