With the world's media focused on the street protests in Egypt that now has entered their 17th day, observers are asking whether the Israeli-Palestinian peace process will be put on the backburner because all eyes are on Egypt.

Following the successful ousting of Tunisian President Zine al- Abidine Ben Ali three weeks ago, a wave of popular protests have been sweeping the Middle East with large-scale demonstrations in Egypt, Jordan and Yemen calling for regime change.

Ever since direct Palestinian-Israeli peace talks started in the early 1990s, they have been grabbing headlines across the world. However, with the process mired in stalemate for the last couple of years, fears are rising that it will slip from the consciousness of world leaders at a time when it needs their involvement perhaps more than ever.

Analysts that spoke to Xinhua said that the protests in Egypt and across the region will definitely in the near future receive more attention, but in the long run could lead to a stronger Palestinian position against Israel, if Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak steps down.

STRONGER PALESTINIAN POSITION

Palestinian analyst Hani Masri said that while the peace process is dead at the moment, once the dust settles in Egypt there will be a new reality. That will affect the talks in a positive way for the Palestinians.

"It will be difficult (for Israel) to continue in the same way as before because the Palestinian stand will be stronger and they will be able to reject Israeli positions," Masri said.

"When Egypt becomes a democracy, this will help the Palestinian issue because it will show us that the Egyptian people can rule themselves," he said, adding that this would be better for the Palestinians than the Mubarak regime.

Asked if what is happening in Egypt could spread to Jordan, the only other Arab state that has a peace treaty with Israel, Masri said that it might be possible but that "Jordan has some national characteristics that are not present in Egypt," which makes the situation in Jordan more complicated. Jordan's King Abdullah II has already made some government changes following events in Egypt.

Looking forward, Masri said that what is needed now is another "serious" peace process, but it will take some time before that happens. He said one of the most important preparations for a new process will be the unification of the Arab and Palestinian positions so that a united front can be presented against Israel.

INTERNAL UPHEAVAL

Prof. Mohammed Dajani, director of the American Studies Institute at Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem told Xinhua that in the long run the protests in Egypt will have a positive impact on the peace process and the Palestinian people.

"Egypt is one of the leading Arab countries so whatever events that take place in Egypt affects the region; it has a very strong ripple effect on the countries around it, particularly on the Arab countries," he said.

Dajani believes that Egypt has played a very big part in the peace process and what's happening in Egypt is connected to the peace process. He pointed out that some of the slogans being heard during demonstrations in Cairo - such as "Revolution until victory " - are old Palestinian slogans from the 1960s.

While most commentators have said that protests in Egypt are solely focused on domestic issues, Dajani disagreed.

"It's not only about food and about jobs," he said. "It's also about dignity, about peace, about what is happening in the area and about not just being followers of other big countries."

Dajani agreed with Masri that Egypt's future part in the peace process will be more "moderate," which may bring "equity and balance of the players" that are the main actors in the process.

The protests in Egypt may not only affect inter-governmental relations. According to Dajani, they may also inspire people in the West Bank and Gaza to protest against both the Israeli and government and Palestinian leadership.

"I do believe that in the near future the frustration with the peace process, as well as the frustration with economy and political situation might also lead to protests here," he said.

He added that issues such as the continued Israeli occupation and land grabbing as well as corruption in Palestine would act as "drops adding and then over-spilling."

GAME CHANGER

Gad Gilbar, professor of Middle East modern history at the University of Haifa, said that what is happening in Egypt will not only have a profound effect on the peace process but on the region as a whole.

However, Gilbar also pointed out that predictions about what will happen in Egypt and how that might affect the region are still very speculative since the situation is changing on a daily basis.

He said that one of the earliest assumptions - that Mubarak would step down - has still not happened and that it may take anything from two months to two years before we know what is happening in Egypt.

If the Muslim Brotherhood, which opposes the Egyptian peace treaty with Israel, will be given power in a future government then "we can forget about the peace process," Gilbar said.

Dr. Maha Azzam, an associate fellow at Middle East and North Africa Program at the British think-tank Chatham House, believes that popular protests in Egypt and other countries across the Middle East will grab some of the attention from the Israel- Palestinian peace process.

"Inevitably what is happening in the region is going to take much attention of the people in the region, and also of the U.S.," Azzam said.

However, in order to have stability in the region there is a need to keep a close eye on what's happening with the Israeli- Palestinian issue, Azzam added.

Azzam agreed that events in Egypt will affect the way the Palestinian people view and judge their own leadership, which will lead to demands for greater accountability and transparency