Thursday, 10 November 2011
President Obama’s Middle East envoy Dennis Ross says he will resign from his post, but returns to his private life with mixed feelings. (Reuters)
President Barack Obama’s key Middle East advisor Dennis Ross said on Thursday he would step down from his post after a period of turmoil in the Arab world and a difficult period in U.S. relations with Israel.
Ross said in a brief resignation statement that he was returning to private life with “mixed feelings.”
“It has been an honor to work in the Obama Administration and to serve this president, particularly during a period of unprecedented change in the broader Middle East.
“Obviously, there is still work to do but I promised my wife I would return to government for only two years and we both agreed it is time to act on my promise.
Obviously, there is still work to do but I promised my wife I would return to government for only two years and we both agreed it is time to act on my promise 
Ross said in a brief resignation statement that he was returning to private life with “mixed feelings.”
“It has been an honor to work in the Obama Administration and to serve this president, particularly during a period of unprecedented change in the broader Middle East.
“Obviously, there is still work to do but I promised my wife I would return to government for only two years and we both agreed it is time to act on my promise.
Obviously, there is still work to do but I promised my wife I would return to government for only two years and we both agreed it is time to act on my promise U.S. Middle East advisor Dennis Ross
“I am grateful to President Obama for having given me the opportunity once again to work on a wide array of Middle Eastern issues and challenges and to support his efforts to promote peace in the region.”
But the news, which follows the resignation of Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell in May, came as a further setback to the president’s Middle East peace strategy.
The United States had backed Israel in the latest efforts by Palestinians to gain United Nations statehood membership.
Ross, who also served president Bill Clinton, also spent long periods of time with Palestinian leaders, through years of frustrated U.S.-brokered efforts to forge peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
When Palestinians won membership of the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO last week, a move that the Obama had sought to prevent, onlookers said this came as a blow to the U.S, peace strategy, which Ross had been central to.
The United States, like Israel, ultimately believes that peace can be achieved between Israel and Palestine through direct negotiations, afore U.N. involvement into statehood matters.
“Dennis Ross has an extraordinary record of public service and has been a critical member of the president’s team for nearly three years,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.
Ross leaves at another uncertain moment in the history of testy ties between the Obama White House and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and at a point where Israel-Palestinian peace talks have shuddered to a halt.
At a G20 summit last week, Obama was party to a conversation in which French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Netanyahu a “liar” and Obama appeared to also be frustrated with the Israeli leader.
“You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day,” Obama replied in comments that were translated into French and picked up an open microphone.
But the news, which follows the resignation of Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell in May, came as a further setback to the president’s Middle East peace strategy.
The United States had backed Israel in the latest efforts by Palestinians to gain United Nations statehood membership.
Ross, who also served president Bill Clinton, also spent long periods of time with Palestinian leaders, through years of frustrated U.S.-brokered efforts to forge peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
When Palestinians won membership of the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO last week, a move that the Obama had sought to prevent, onlookers said this came as a blow to the U.S, peace strategy, which Ross had been central to.
The United States, like Israel, ultimately believes that peace can be achieved between Israel and Palestine through direct negotiations, afore U.N. involvement into statehood matters.
“Dennis Ross has an extraordinary record of public service and has been a critical member of the president’s team for nearly three years,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.
Ross leaves at another uncertain moment in the history of testy ties between the Obama White House and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and at a point where Israel-Palestinian peace talks have shuddered to a halt.
At a G20 summit last week, Obama was party to a conversation in which French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Netanyahu a “liar” and Obama appeared to also be frustrated with the Israeli leader.
“You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day,” Obama replied in comments that were translated into French and picked up an open microphone.
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