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A leading pro-Israel group is demanding that former U.S. Middle East envoy Dennis Ross retract his false allegation regarding Israel’s goals concerning Hamas.
Ross, a longtime U.S. envoy who is now a widely-quoted commentator on Mideast affairs, claimed to the New York Times on October 19 that Israel previously promised to stop firing at Hamas when its top leaders are dead.
“For Netanyahu and the Israeli military, this has always been the emblem of victory,” Ross claimed, referring to the elimination of Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar. “When you asked back in December or January, ‘What would victory look like?’ the Israeli government said, ‘When Sinwar and five or six other Hamas leaders are dead.”
But an exhaustive review by Americans For A Safe Israel (AFSI) of statements by Israeli government spokespeople during the past year has not uncovered any such assertion. On the contrary, the Israeli government has consistently said that the total defeat of the entire Hamas terrorist army is necessary to prevent Hamas from continuing to murder Jews.
AFSI National Chairman Moshe Phillips said:
“If Dennis Ross has evidence that Israel considered the elimination of seven Hamas leaders sufficient for victory, he should disclose it—otherwise, he should publicly apologize for his implausible allegation.
“Ross’s track record concerning Israel is deeply troubling. He has admitted that he pressured Israel to let Hamas import cement—the very cement that was used to build the Gaza terror tunnels. He claimed in 2014 that Hamas would soon ‘stop firing rockets’ at Israel because ‘its arsenal [will be] depleted.’ Now Ross is falsely depicting Israel as breaking its word regarding its war goals. He has demonstrated that he is too biased to be taken seriously as a commentator on Middle East affairs.”
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Established in 1970, Americans For A Safe Israel / AFSI is one of the oldest and most influential pro-Israel organizations in the United States. Its advocacy and education campaigns serve as a potent counterweight to the rising tide of Arab propaganda. AFSI is not affiliated with any political party in the United States or Israel.
