Israeli-Palestinian relations may soon reach a turning point, according to former Ambassador Dennis Ross who spoke to about 30 students, their parents and professors Monday at an invitation-only meeting organized by C.O.R.E., an inter-campus student advocacy group. The conference was one of several events put on by student groups this week to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"On the surface it appears to be a good moment for the Middle East, but beneath the surface there are many problems," he said. "If the right action isn't taken, the moment will be lost. ... If we lose this moment, there won't be another one for 10 years."
Citing anecdotes from a decade of experience in Arab-Israeli diplomacy, Ross analyzed Israeli-Palestinian history, evaluated the dangers facing the region in the months ahead and offered a step-by-step guide to establishing a stable and peaceful relationship among Israel, the Palestinians and the surrounding Arab nations.
He emphasized the responsibilities facing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the importance of maintaining the ceasefire that started in February and the need for more proactive U.S. involvement.
Ross served as special Middle East coordinator under President Bill Clinton. He was instrumental in some of the major Mid-East conflict negotiations in the 1990s. Ross left government service in 2001, but he recently returned from Israel, where he spoke with a variety of political leaders.
Events in the last few months, such as the death of Yasir Arafat, present an opportunity for change in the region, he said.
"As long as Arafat [was] there, there [could] be no understanding between the Israelis and the Palestinians, or amongst the Palestinians," he said.
Ross said. "Arafat was putting on a show. Everybody there was a prop to him."
Ross also cited the initiative to withdraw settlements from Gaza and the West Bank as a sign of progress from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has been outspoken in asserting a Jewish mandate to the region in his 30-year-long career in government.
During his most recent trip to Israel, Ross said he noticed changed attitudes towards Sharon.
"It was surreal hearing left-wing Israelis speak of Sharon as 'our leader,' when they have referred to him as an enemy for so long." Ross spoke at length about the challenges facing President Abbas.
"Abbas has a popular mandate to reverse Arafat's tradition of chaos and violence," he said. "He needs to show his people that a better life is possible, that there is a pathway that comes from peaceful methods."
If Abbas is effective in working diplomatically Ross said, the pressure will be on Israel to cooperate.
Ross said he was not confident in Abbas' ability to secure peace. The new president inherited 14 separate security agencies from Arafat, as well as military influences from Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran on a population living with a stagnant economy and no promising signs of social or economic reform. The current ceasefire, Ross predicted, will be broken following the Palestinian elections this July.
The weakness of the ceasefire agreement is that the Israelis and Palestinians do not have a mutual understanding of the conditions, he said.
Ross said he thinks the World Bank and European Union should step in to reorganize Abbas's administration. Europeans can also help neutralize the terrorist threat from Iran, Ross said, by putting pressure on that country while negotiating its nuclear energy program.
Ultimately, he believes it is the United States' prerogative to play the largest role of any foreign power in the transformation of Palestine.
"The U.S. is the only power that can take this role," he said. "The Europeans can't do it, not alone."
Ross said he didn't think Palestinians would resent American intervention,
David Manchester, a sophomore in the School of International Service, introduced Ambassador Ross, and said he was impressed with the speech.
"He's a very eloquent speaker, and he has a great deal of insight into what has happened and what's going on still," Manchester said.
Manchester is a representative from C.O.R.E., which stands for Campuses Organized for Retail Engagement, is a "trial advocacy program," according to Manchester.
The program's objective is to educate a small group of students by hosting expert speakers in intimate settings, and facilitating one-on-one discussions. These students are then able to educate the rest of the campus on timely issues concerning Israel and the Middle East.
"You can think about it in terms of shopping," Manchester said, explaining the concept of retail engagement.
"In a wholesale shop, like Costco, there is little to no personalization, [which is like] in a school wide speaker, everyone hears the same thing. In a retail store, there are people there to help. In this case, the discussion is one on one and the message can be adjusted to what interests the individual," he said.
The program is established at four schools nationwide including AU, where the group has about 35 members. Many members of C.O.R.E. at AU are also members of AU Students of Israel, who held a brief meeting after Ambassador Ross's speech to develop their "many faces of Israel" flyer campaign. The two groups will continue to work together in the future, Manchester said.
As these pro-Israel student groups organize are events and advertise, the group AU Students for Justice in Palestine is producing the fourth annual Palestine Awareness Week. From the domed tent they have set up in the main Quad, members of this group commented on some of Ross' remarks.
Justice in Palestine member Nick Heres acknowledged the responsibilities facing President Abbas, but added that the peace objective is just as dependant upon Prime Minister Sharon's execution of the settlement withdrawal plan. The withdrawal from Gaza will be a major step towards peace "if it is sustained. It can't just be a Trojan horse," he said. "If nothing changes, it will eventually be too late to do anything."
Heres said a coordinated effort from both the leadership of both sides is essential.
"Sharon and Abbas need to work together, taking the same steps at the same time. One cannot take a step without the other," Heres said.
