Dennis Ross: “‘Peace process’ [still] out of the lexicon”

… Q: Why do you think President Bush decided to eliminate the position of Mideast peace negotiator, after you had served his father and President Clinton and helped broker so many agreements?

Dennis Ross: The Bush administration, in the first term, made a basic decision to disengage. They took the words “peace process” [i.e. the rejection of any negotiator] out of the lexicon. They literally would not use the words "peace process" for the first few months. In the second term, Condoleezza Rice has been more involved.

… Q: Do you think the members of Hamas will desist in calling for the destruction of Israel now that they have acquired political clout?

DR: No. I think they will not.

Q: In that case, what is the proper course of action for us?

DR: The international community needs to cut them off unless they transform themselves. There can be no dealing with Hamas [they took the words “peace process” out of the lexicon] and no financial assistance to the Palestinians if they don't give up violence and recognize the right of Israel to exist [sic].

Q: Why would an extremist like Ismail Haniyeh and the other leaders of Hamas care what we think anyhow?

DR: Think about this: The Palestinians get about a billion dollars a year from the outside. This year the U.S. was giving them about $350 million, a certain percentage of which was for the Palestinian Authority, but most of it for nongovernmental organizations.

… Q: What countries do you think are crucial if we are to form an anti-Hamas front that has any influence?

DR: I think right now the U.S. focus has to be on lining up a common front with [Israel,]the Europeans, the Russians, the Chinese, the Japanese and, if possible, Arab leaders.

Q: Are we actually capable of doing that?

DR: The current administration has not shown great interest in group projects. That's true, but sometimes necessity creates reality. There's an imperative here.

Dennis Ross, fmr. U.S. Middle East negoitiator.

Deborah Solomon, “Handling Hamas,” New York Times, 2/05/06.