Briefing with Ambassador Dennis Ross - 1 June, 2006
On June 1st LFI hosted a briefing in the House of Commons with Former US Middle East envoy Dennis Ross. Ambassador Ross, now Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, was Middle East Co-ordinator under President Bill Clinton and was instrumental in advancing the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process. His book, ‘The Missing Peace’, is an authoritative account of the peace process throughout the ‘90s, including the Camp David talks of 2000.
During the meeting - hosted by LFI Parliamentary Executive Member Lord Young of Norwood Green and LFI Chair, Iain Wright MP – Mr Ross offered considerable insight into the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process as well as the broader regional challenges. He dealt with questions on a range of issues including funding to the Palestinian people, the Palestinian ‘Prisoners Plan’, and the opportunities presented by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Convergence Plan.
He went on to discuss the Iranian nuclear programme, the rise of political Islam and the challenges of promoting democracy in the region.
LFI regularly hosts briefings for parliamentarians and policy makers with the aim of promoting understanding and informed debate on issues affecting Israel and the Middle East.