he Sri Lankan example also demonstrates the effect of developments in internal political arenas on the status of the Palestinians in the international arena.
The Palestinian Cause in the International Arena: The Case of Sri Lanka
On January 8, 2015, Mahinda Rajapaksa lost his bid for reelection as Sri Lanka’s president to Maithripala Sirisena, who favors a pro-Western policy and earned the support of retired politicians and leaders of the minority parties. Interestingly, the Palestinian question was on the Sri Lankan agenda during the election campaign, and Rajapaksa has long been an active promoter of Palestinian causes. From Israel’s perspective, the new presidency in Colombo could signal the potential for some improvement in relations with Sri Lanka. One cannot expect a severing of economic ties between Colombo and the PA, but presumably diplomatic relations will cool to some degree, which could be manifested in somewhat less enthusiastic Sri Lankan support for the Palestinian cause in the international arena, especially UN institutions.
