Ross Urges Israel to ‘Turn Over New Page’ With United States

Dennis Ross, a former U.S. diplomat and Middle East adviser to several presidents, has warned the Israeli cabinet that Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement, “is about ending Israel’s existence, not its occupation of Palestinians. But because BDS focuses on occupation and Israeli settlement activity in Yehudah and Shomron it disguises its real objective.”

Ross addressed the cabinet’s weekly meeting in his capacity as co-chair of the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), which annually briefs ministers on its findings.

Despite improvements in Israel’s security posture in the region, the failure to persuade the Europeans of the justness of Israel’s policies, and the ongoing efforts of the Palestinians to enlist the international community in their cause, poses a serious problem of delegitimization.

The JPPI’s main recommendation to the cabinet was to take advantage of the upcoming U.S. elections and subsequent change of administrations “to turn over a new page in its relations with the United States.”

“As the U.S. is Israel’s and the Jewish people’s most important ally, improving this relationship should be Israel’s utmost priority. An Israeli initiative, coordinated with the new American administration, to advance toward a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, on the basis of two states and within a regional framework, could be a game changer,” the JPPI said in a statement.