Conversation with Ambassador Dennis Ross

The Israelis and the Palestinians: Where We Go From Here

In conversation with

Amb. Dennis Ross

Moderated by

Richard Salomon

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3OTH, 4-5PM, On ZOOM

As the Israel-Hamas war rages on, there are many looming questions about how this will play out for Israel, for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and for the eradication of Hamas; the humanitarian concerns for civilian lives in Gaza; the release of the hostages still held by Hamas; and Israel's longterm security concerns. What military and diplomatic solutions are still on the table to prevent a multi-front war? 

Join us with Ambassador Dennis Ross in conversation with Richard Salomon as we unpack these vital and urgent questions. The Common Good welcomes Ambassador Dennis Ross, acclaimed diplomat and expert on the Middle East in conversation with Harvard-trained lawyer and CEO Richard Salomon for a discussion on where Palestinians and Israelis can go from here and what the future might hold for the Middle East.


Watch Now:


About Our Speakers

Ambassador Dennis Ross

Ambassador Dennis Ross has served several US administrations as a senior diplomat and advisor on the Middle East and broader international security. In Obama's first term, he had the principal responsibility for Iran policy. He is one of America’s foremost foreign policy experts on the region and currently serves as Counselor at The Washington Institute, a think tank dedicated to improving the quality of US Middle East policy, and a Distinguished Professor of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.

In February 2009, Ambassador Dennis Ross was appointed Special Advisor for the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Later that year he left the State Department to join the National Security Council staff as a Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for the Central Region (the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asia). He stepped down from this role in December 2011. 

Ambassador Dennis Ross served as Middle East Envoy under President Clinton, helping the Israelis and Palestinians reach the 1995 Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. He also brokered the Protocol Concerning the Redeployment in Hebron in 1997 and facilitated the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace.

During George H. W. Bush’s administration, Ambassador Dennis Ross was Director of the United States State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, where he worked on US policy toward the former Soviet Union, the reunification of Germany and its integration into NATO, arms control, and forming the coalitions during the 1991 Gulf War. He also collaborated with Secretary of State James Baker on convincing Arab and Israeli leaders to attend the 1991 Middle East peace conference in Madrid, Spain.

Richard A. Salomon is a graduate of Carleton College and Harvard Law School and the founder and CEO of Vantage Point Consultants. Vantage Point advises corporations on ways to optimize the expenditure of legal dollars and has worked with over 400 of the Fortune 500 throughout the world. Mr. Salomon is a frequent keynote speaker to groups, including the GC100 (the Chief Legal Officers of the FTSE 100 in London) and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, as well as an occasional lecturer at Harvard Law School. Mr. Salomon is a member of the Advisory Board of the Corporate Counsel’s Guide to Law Department Management and Corporate Counsel’s Guide to Litigation Management. Mr. Salomon is also a co-author of Managing the Corporate Legal Function (2nd ed. 1995, Matthew Bender). 

Mr. Salomon is involved in numerous philanthropic and social service-related activities. He is a co-founder, member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center; and a member of the Advisory Board for the Visas for Life Foundation (relating to Consul General Chiune Sugihara, who rescued his father and uncle during the Holocaust). In addition, Mr. Salomon is on the Board of New York University’s Of Many Institute as well as on the President's Council of the Interfaith Youth Core, and the President’s Global Forum of the Auburn Theological Seminary. Mr. Salomon is a frequent public speaker at the 92nd Street Y, Temple Emanu-El, and other venues.