While the OU/IPA is not a journalistic enterprise, we can report that reliable sources tell us that Richard Haass will not be appointed to the post described below:

Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder reports today that transition officials “confirm that Obama has asked Dennis Ross, Richard Haass, and Richard Holbrooke, to serve as his chief emissaries to world hot spots.”

Holbrooke is to handle Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan; Ross is to handle Iran; and Haass is to be tasked with the Middle East and the Israeli-Arab conflict. The latter appointment is sure to set off alarm bells in the pro-Israel community – Haass having been a lead player in the George H.W. Bush-James Baker days (remember – pressuring Prime Minister Shamir to the Madrid Conference; Bush Sr.’s complaint that he was “one lonely guy against 1,000 pro-Israel lobbyists”.) Many events and realities have changed since Bush senior left office, and people like Dennis Ross (who also served Bush-Baker) have not kept their views frozen but have modified them as events warrant

Richard Haass lays out his views in a new essay, which supporters of Israel must now study very closely.

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