Ross for the high jump

For more than twelve years, Dennis Ross played a leading role in shaping the AIPAC and US involvement in the Middle East peace process. Responsible in both the former Bush and Clinton administrations for exploring ways to prolong the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he has now put his diplomatic expertise into a recently published book, entitled: “Statecraft And How to Restore America’s Freedom From Israel.”

Ross is urging the Bush administration not to leave office without a firm agreement — for anything from an outline of what they see their future state would look like to final status negotiations — from the Palestinians and Israelis; and strongly cautioned against leaving the incoming administration with freedom to act.

“If the next administration inherits a void, then it will force Israel to tear down the wall in the West Bank,” he said, adding, “If they inherit something, it will become much easier to keep the focus and keep the momentum (of no peace talks) going.”

Still, he warned, “whoever is the next president, he’ll inherit me and a really daunting legacy (in the Middle East).”

The biggest bind for the new administration, he said, is that the more concrete the plan that is passed on, the more the next administration will have to embrace it.

Currently, Ross is Counsellor of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a pro-Israel think tank, and chairman of a Jerusalem-based think tank, the Institute for Jewish People Policy Planning, funded and founded by the Jewish agency.

Obama, when asked why he hired Ross (“Change, Yes We Can”) said he needs to get one over on the AIPAC till he’ elected.

Then he’ll have Ross investigated as an unregistered agent of a foreign power and have him dragged off in handcuffs.