Dennis Ross, a former top Middle East adviser to President Obama, argued that the president succeeded in the main purpose of his trip to Israel: to make a connection with the Israeli people. The trip comes at a "downbeat" time in the region when there has been little progress reigniting peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Despite that, Ross maintains that there is a "readiness" in Israel to make a peace effort with the Palestinians, but acknowledged that both sides suffer from "disbelief" that it is possible.
An opportunity, Ross argues, could actually come from the increasing instability in the countries surrounding Israel.
"It’s very easy to feel like this is not the time to take risks because of everything around you," Ross said. "The irony is that much of what’s going on around [Israel], also leads, for example say in Egypt, for that leadership to be preoccupied internally and it can actually create some space to do something."
Watch the full interview with Dennis Ross above to hear more about the Middle East peace process and what the tenth anniversary of the Iraq war has taught the United States about committing to large-scale land wars there.
