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Ex-Ambassador Ross opens book fair by separating
myth from truth.
DON COHEN
Special to the Jewish News
T
he top job of a mediator is to
get each side to confront reali-
ty," Ambassador Dennis Ross
told a crowd of more than 600 at the
opening night of the 53rd Annual
Jewish Book Fair Nov. 4 at the Jewish
Community Center in West
Bloomfield.
His new book, The Missing
Peace: The Inside Story of the
Fight for Middle East Peace, is
part of his continuing efforts to
do just that.
Ross said he wrote his 800-
page book, part history and
part manifesto, to "learn the
lessons of the past to shape a
different future," and because it
Ross
"debunks fundamental
mythologies" that consume the
Middle East.
"It's easier to live with mythologies
than the truth," said Ross, but such
mythologies stand in the way of peace.
With negotiations at a standstill, Ross's
book, frequent public appearances and
position as counselor for the
Washington Institute for Near East
Policy, he virtually continues as the
chief — albeit private — American
Mideast peace authority, as he was offi-
cially in the administrations of Presi-
dents George H.W. Bush and Bill
Clinton.
According to Ross, two mythologies
that stand in the way of resuming
negotiations are that the Palestinians
never made meaningful concessions to
Israel on substantive issues and that
Israel never offered the Palestinians any-
thing that they could reasonably accept.
"Arafat may not have been a partner,"
admitted Ross, but it is important for
Israel and its supporters to understand
"there were Palestinians — credible,
nationalistic and authentic leaders —
willing to make meaningful concessions."
Likewise, what the Palestinians were
offered went well beyond Arafat and
what the controlled Arab media told
their people. "Arafat says he was offered
cantons (separate parcels of land) divid-
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ed by bypass roads, surrounded by
Israelis with no independent border
with Jordan and none of East
Jerusalem," explained Ross.
In fact, in 2000, President Clinton
offered "100 percent of the Gaza, 97
percent of the West Bank, all the Arab
neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, the
`right of return' to a Palestinian state,
no bypass roads and no settlements .
except in settlement blocks."
Ross also disputed many of
the Arab and European
attacks on Israel's security
barrier, which he said has
proven its effectiveness. He
explained that a wall was
only built in those few areas
where snipers made a fence
ineffective.
Ross is certain that the
U.S. "must get back in the
game." He says Palestinians
want elections and the U.S. should
help them so they can have "a real lead-
ership." He sees Israel's unilateral with-
drawal from Gaza as a very positive step
that will allow Israel to "get out of con-
trolling Palestinian lives," which is a
must, but he is concerned it will erupt
in violence without proper coordina-
tion between the two sides.
"When you sit on the sidelines,
things get worse — it is not a static sit-
uation," argued Ross, saying that prag-
matic Palestinian leaders are scared of
the next generation of their own youth
who are modeling themselves after Al
Qaeda. "The measure of diplomacy is
not only what you achieve, it is what
you prevent, limit, contain and defuse."
Sherri Silvian, a book fair volunteer
from Farmington Hills, came away
convinced and encouraged.
"I think he was great, and I wish he
could broadcast his message to the
world," she said.
Gary Rimar of Bloomfield Hills was
ready to give Ross his old job back.
"The smartest thing that George
Bush could do is bring Dennis Ross
back to negotiate Middle East peace,"
he said.
❑
See related opinion piece, page 38.