Ali Gharib lays out the multiplicity of reasons why Dennis Ross — “a three-time-loser on Israeli-Palestinian peace-making” — lacks the competence for any role in the Middle East.
I was struck by an article by Nathan Guttman in the legendary Jewish Daily Forward about Dennis Ross and George Mitchell jockeying for the position of Obama Administration’s point-person in the Middle East peace process. The whole thing is a fascinating read, but this line really jumped out at me:
Others have also described Ross as more skeptical [than Mitchell] about the chances of peace, based on his decades-long experience with trying to bring together the parties.
I don’t want to get all new-agey, but if you think something is difficult or impossible to do, the chances of being able to do it are greatly diminished from the get-go.
So why does this Ross guy keep getting jobs that he doesn’t think are possible? I picked up Ross’ book off of my shelf here in D.C., and it amazed me how many times he says you cannot make any kind of deal with the Iranians. Then, Obama put him in charge of making a deal with the Iranians. Ross, we now learn, doubts that a peace deal can be reached in Israel-Palestine, and Obama gives him a job making peace in Israel-Palestine.
So what does this tell us about Obama? That he’s beholden to AIPAC; that he lacks courage, creativity and imagination. Above all, that lacking confidence in his own capacities of leadership he pays undue deference to the “qualification” that a subordinate possesses talent for no better reason than that he is an old hand — and that’s where Ross has “out performed” George Mitchell: more frequent flyer miles clocked up between the US and the Middle East.
Well, Robert Naiman,…it’s grand for you to finally realize your President is’nt exactly in synch with…(MOST if not..all) your povs!
Since the whole US stance and intentions for the Palestinian-Israeli ‘peace’ negotiations are fraudulent, it’s probably a good thing to have someone leading the file who doesn’t believe in the program. The worst thing that could happen to the Palestinians is for the illegitimate Palestinian negotiators to agree to anything.
The only lawful and just solution is for a fully democratic and fully equal ONE state solution that will allow both Palestinians and Israelis the full protection of law and the full enjoyment of equal rights.
Christopher Hoare is right on the money. Israel and the US have never wanted a 2-state solution nor has such a solution ever been on the table. A demilitarized tiny Palestinian colony or protectorate whose boreders are controllede by Israel is the most Israel will tolerate and even that is probably not on the agenda. While ersatz-negotiations go on Israel simply steals the rest of the Palestinian homeland. It’s been happening for decades now and the US is perectly content with the process. All the land of Israel, every last inch of it, is the occupied territory of the Palestinian people. The Israeli state is worried about deligitimization for the simple reason that in fact the State of Israel has no legitimacy: it is stolen territory.