(Editor’s Note: The following is a first-person reflection by Hilary Stiss ’09 about her opportunity to meet and talk with former ambassador and Middle East envoy Dennis Ross.)
Two summers ago, I devoted my time to working for a peace organization, Windows for Peace, which allowed me to work in Israel and the West Bank.
My experiences working with Palestinians and spending time in the West Bank transformed my perspective on the region’s deep-seated conflict.
I began to devote my studies to conflict resolution, particularly focusing on Israel and Palestine, in addition to trying to inform my peers about the realities of the region to better understand the issues.
This past Tuesday, members of the 91鶹Ʒ campus had the opportunity to hear Ambassador Dennis Ross speak about his book, Statecraft: And How to Restore America’s Standing in the World, which examines the practice of strategic diplomacy.
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| Former ambassador and Mideast envoy Dennis Ross talks at 91鶹Ʒ. (Photo by Barrett Brassfield) |
As the chief envoy under Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Ross was directly involved in the Middle East peace process, especially between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Ross’s visit to 91鶹Ʒ was special for me because as a student of peace and conflict resolution, I find myself far removed from the realities of the peace process.
But in a personal interview with Ross I was not only able to ask him questions about the thesis I am currently working on, which focuses on Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, but I was able to ask him about what occurred at the negotiation tables.
Ross shared anecdotes about personal conversations with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and specifics about the proceedings. For the first time I feel as if I truly understand why the peace process has failed from a diplomatic point of view.
During my interview and reaffirmed during his lecture, Ross declared that the main failure of the process is the disbelief in the possibility of a peace agreement on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
I asked Ross about the most significant obstacle to future peace and he replied, “Making both sides believe that peace is possible.”
I also questioned the extent to which American Jewish lobbyist groups directly affect negotiations. Ross said that he never made a decision based on what lobbyists wanted or told him to do.
As a senior embarking on a career exploration, I am inspired to follow a similar road as Ross. Being able to meet and personally discuss the future of Israel with an individual who holds significant influence over American foreign policy in the region was an extraordinary experience.