Former Middle East peace envoy Dennis Ross, author of the new book “Doomed to Succeed: The U.S.-Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama,” will speak at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s free Together community event on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. at Congregation Anshei Israel. The event will officially launch the JFSA 2016 Community Campaign.
“Dennis Ross and ‘Middle East Peace Process’ are nearly synonymous,” says fellow diplomat Elliott Abrams, reviewing “Doomed to Succeed” in The Wall Street Journal.
Ross played a key role in shaping U.S. participation in the Middle East peace process for more than 12 years, serving as director of policy planning in the State Department for George H.W. Bush, as Bill Clinton’s Middle East peace envoy and as a special assistant to the president under Barack Obama.
Under President Clinton, Ross helped Israelis and Palestinians reach the 1995 Interim Agreement. He successfully brokered the Hebron Accord in 1997, facilitated the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty and worked to bring Israel and Syria together. Clinton said, “No one worked harder for peace than Dennis.”
A 1970 graduate of UCLA, Ross wrote his doctoral dissertation on Soviet decision-making. He served as director of Near East and South Asian affairs on the National Security Council under President Reagan. In the first Bush administration, he played a prominent role in U.S. policy toward the former Soviet Union, the unification of Germany and its integration into NATO. Today, he is counselor and Davidson Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown. The Together event “is an unparalleled opportunity to hear from a leading figure in the diplomatic world, America’s point man in the Mideast peace process,” says JFSA Chair Tom Warne. “In light of the recent tensions, I think that it’s vital for our community to come together to be informed and express our support for the Israeli people — and our continued hopes for peace throughout the region.”
To register for Ross’ talk, visit jfsa.org or call 577-9393.
Reception a chance to meet the ambassador
The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona will hold a reception with Dennis Ross for members of JFSA’s Tikkun Circle and Ben Gurion Society, which include donors to the JFSA 2016 Community Campaign of $1,000 (per couple) or $500 (individual). The reception, with a light supper and no-host bar, will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Congregation Anshei Israel, prior to the ambassador’s talk at 7 p.m. A $36 registration fee includes a signed copy of Ross’ book, “Doomed to Succeed.” Attendees are invited to submit a question for Ross when they register.
RSVP by Nov. 11 at jfsa.org or contact Rosi Vogel at 577-9393 or rvogel@jfsa.org.
