Journalists mess up in many ways. For one thing, they can present as a matter of opinion what is really a matter of fact. Ross`s pro-Israel leanings are more than "purported". He has been a key figure in WINEP, an admitted advocate for Israel. I personally heard him say, in a lecture, that he was pro-Israel. There is no "purported" about it.
It never made sense to give Ross a role in Middle East diplomacy, except from the point of view of US domestic politics. His job is to reassure the Israel lobby that those legendary " State Department Arabists" aren`t calling the shots.
Ross`s involvement really signals US passivity in a certain area of foreign policy. When we have to show that we working on peace but don`t really want to commit ourselves, we call on him. His departure as Iran envoy signals new US seriousness about dealing with that country. It means that our overtures have gone beyond the preliminary stage. Good riddance. |
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