dennis ross, you've certainly been on the other side of the negotiating table before. does this cease fire seem real to you? >> it does seem real to me because i think both sides really want this to be over. neither side knew, at this point, that there was much more that could be gained and they each saw the price they were paying was one that was going to continue to go up. we can look at it as a price not being equal to the two sides but how does each side evaluate those costs? i think for the israelis, they had destroyed the tunnels. if they band to go in and stop the mortars, they would have to go in on the ground again and take over gaza, which was too high a price to pay. they achieved what they were going to achieve militarily. for hamas, if you look at the rockets they had left, if they kept firing, they would deplete the arsenal and the price in gaza was going up. so each was looking for a way out and this gives them a chance to sustain something. >> ifill: shibley telhami, you married iyou -- you heard in the he didn't understand why hamas didn't take the dea

bush, ambassador dennis ross and pulitzer prize winner and journalist fox news contributor judith milleri will start with you ambassador. did john kerry really think he could broker a deal with hamas and is a deal even possible given the player in this? >> there has been cease fires in the past. in 2012 there was a cease fire. there was a cease fire in 2009 as well. particularly the cease fires are going to emerge from the realities on the ground. in this particular case israelis were prepared to go along with the cease fire that kerry had brok brokered. obviously hamas was not prepared for it. the israelis made a judgment now that sort of is twofold. number one they don't trust that hamas will live up to what it says. number two they don't want it out hamas is seen as gaining. they understand egypt, jordan, saudi arabia the emirates and palestinian authority, although it's in a difficult position to say it. none of them want hamas to gain as well. you have a strategical linement in the region and they are trying to take account of that. whether or not that can bring it to an end it depe

ambassador dennis ross and judith miller are back with me.bassador, you referenced something you used the word realignment. i want to read something that struck me when i listened to prime minister netanyahu yesterday. he talked about saying it surprised many, but not us, the special connection we have with countries of the area. this is very important at the end of this operation is open for us for israel new possibilities. that one speaks volumes to me. what about you ambassador? >> it is a significant point. it suggests we are thinking beyond what happens at the end of this round. he's thinking of it from two different stand points. one standpoint is what you do to ensure hamas doesn't gain with gaza. candidates be used for housing authority as alternative to hamas hamas. is there a way to create greater cooperation among this group on regional issues. the fact that he is talking about opportunity to suggest that he realizes this round of fighting needs to be thinking not only in terms of what it represents about hamas but what it means as

more now with ambassador dennis ross. ambassador, why do you think the u.s.not cooperating with israel's partners against hamas? >> well, i think that -- i think, in fact, we will be. i mean, it's very much in our interest to do so. one of the things i would like to see us do, with the obama administration, is to sort of see where we are today in the region, look to the next two-and-a-half years, use as an objective where we want the region to be when the obama administration concludes, and the premise should be our friends in the region should be stronger and their adversaries should be weaker. and every policy decision we make as it relates to this region should be informed by that decision. so every day-to-day decisions are seen as supporting that objective and not detracting from it. >> you know, you make a great point. so why did kerry propose a cease-fire? that sort of favored hamas. not calling for hamas to fully disarm. what specific policy changes does secretary kerry and president obama need to make? >> well, i think to be fair to secretary kerry, i

joining me now, ambassador dennis ross. he's a counselor at the washington institute. good to see you em bass dor. >> thank you. >> we'll start with the humanitarian air drop. is it enough? >> the numbers of people stranded is huge. what we are doing is important. the british said they will do something as well. i don't think the u.s. by itself can do enough. i hope the british join us soon. the effort is important. >> and france, joining as well. i understand they reportedly started their humanitarian air drops earlier today. let me talk on the global and broader picture here. are we witnessing a worldwide attack on christians? >> well, we are certainly witnessing an attack on christians and i would say other minorities throughout the middle east. that's what isis represents. they basically declared war on christians, but they have declared war on all minorities. the ya si di-'s on mount sinjar, they are basically at the mercy, they fled with all they had, the clothes on their back. it's all minorities in the middle east that isis rejects. basically, they reject us. t

former special envoy to the middle east dennis ross will take part in a conversation called "gaza --rom fighting to cease-fire." the ebola virus will be the topic of a house subcommittee hearing. -- frieden will go before the panel. eastern. start at 2:30 we welcome your comments from twitter using #cspanchat. a reporter covering key elections joined us on this morning's "washington journal." ayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayat thing to watch in tennessee today and specifically who is the most important person to watch? >> i think the most important thing to watch in tennessee today is going to be the senate race. senator lamar all ex-and, he has been involved in tennessee poll continues for over 40 years. he is running for a third term and facing a pretty aggressive challenge from the tea party candidates, the most serious of his challengers is joe carter. mr. carter has gotten the support of some prominent members of the tea party, sarah palin endorsed him. radio personality laura ingram has endorsed him and came to tennessee and held a rally for him a few weeks ago. mr. carr has been

dennis ross has extensive piece in the "washington post" called how hamas missed its chance in gaza. first, a new strategic ally many to take place in the region must be recognized was of egypt, jordan, saudi arabia, and the emirates my cv muslim brotherhood as a threat as they natural partners in denying hamas, the palestinian wing of the brotherhood, potential gains and assisting reentry into gaza. second, because hamas is -- publicly achieving to states for two people, diplomacy after the recent conflict must foster tangible changes on the ground, not promise a victim that is -- a vision that is unachievable. that is the essence of good statecraft. guest: i cannot agree more. anybody who wants to see a resolution in gaza and the west bank and a return of negotiations between israel and palestine -- that is sort of the equivalent of american pie and honey added on top of it. look, steve, the problem here right now is the fact that with respect to the situation in gaza, hamas is a terrorist organization that is using the palestinian people in gaza to focus its own parochial goals an

let's brim in ambassador dennis ross, served as special assistance to president obama and was seniordirector of the national security council for the central region. knew fox news contributor, mr. ambassador, thank you. >> nice to be with you. >> i mentioned to it ed but i did a lot of reading on all the new protocols that went into place in 2012, 2013, and how they thought they had a handle on this. i guess there's no way to stop it completely. bus, man, just tears your heart out. >> it does, and it's shocking when it takes place in a facility that is seen as being as secure as this one was. and the protocols have been successful when you look at the decline in the insider attacks. as you noted in the report earlier, the numbers were dramatically higher in 2012. they dropped significantly in 2013. and they have dropped again in 2014. so, those protocols in many respects have been working. the problem is in a place like afghanistan, it's hard to make them perfect. and we're seeing the results of that. as i said, from my standpoint, to see it take place where it did, to see the kind o

others question whether obama would be willing to do it but his top officials dennis ross to assist top official on policy for the first few years that the administration gary seymore his top wmd official at the white house for the first few years of the administration boasts boasts a matter-of-factly if it comes to that point the present will be willing to use force and i quote them both in the book. over the past two years or so i think the establishment position has done me near 180-degree turn and shifted so much that now those that suggest we can live with a nuclear-armed iran are the ones who are dismissed as extremists. rand paul recently got himself in political hot water for suggesting that it should be on the table as an option. as i see it what's happened over the past couple of years as the foreign-policy establishment has caught up with this argument i've been making for several years. i would like to think my work and my arguments have played some part in bringing the shift about. the book is not arguing the military option should be a last resort from deterred iran from a

but his top officials, dennis ross on middle east policy for the first few years of the administrationary seymour, his top wmd official at the white house for the first few years of the administration. both say matter of factually that if it comes to that point, the president will be willing to use force and i quote them both in the book. so over the past two years or so, i think the establishment position on this question has done a near 180-degree turn. and it's shifted so much that now those who suggest that we can live with the nuclear-armed iran are those dismissed as extremists. rand paul recently got himself in political hot water just for suggesting that deterring and containing a nuclear armed iran should be on the table as an option. so as i see it, what's happened over the past couple of years is the foreign policy establishment has caught with this argument that i've been making for several years. i would like to think that my work and my arguments have played at least some part in bringing that shift about. so in some, the book is not arguing the military option. it should

dennis ross has extensive piece in the "washington post" called how hamas missed its chance in gaza.irst, a new strategic ally many to take place in the region must be recognized was of egypt, jordan, saudi arabia, and the emirates my cv muslim brotherhood as a threat as they natural partners in denying hamas, the palestinian wing of the brotherhood, potential gains and assisting reentry into gaza. second, because hamas is -- publicly achieving to states for two people, diplomacy after the recent conflict must foster tangible changes on the ground, not promise a victim that is -- a vision that is unachievable. that is the essence of good statecraft. guest: i cannot agree more. anybody who wants to see a resolution in gaza and the west bank and a return of negotiations between israel and palestine -- that is sort of the equivalent of american pie and honey added on top of it. look, steve, the problem here right now is the fact that with respect to the situation in gaza, hamas is a terrorist organization that is using the palestinian people in gaza to focus its own parochial goals and

ross sorkin. becky quick is off today. look at manhattan's first-ever denny's location opening this morning.ncial district location is an upscale version of what is called america's diner. one option on the menu will set you back $300. yeah. later in the hour we're going to tell you what $300 will buy you at denny's. if it's, you know, suitable for cable. and take you inside the new location -- >> i see, $300 pint -- >> are you meeting someone will? i mean what -- >> maybe there's caviar on the pancakes? i don't know what -- >> maybe it's caviar, which you order. >> i have not ordered. >> you do like caviar. that's why you go to davos. you have said that before. >> let's get a check on the markets. u.s. equity futures at this hour. take a look, see what's going on. joseph kernen always making trouble. dow jones looks like it would open higher. nasdaq up about 15 points. s&p 500 up about 7 points. take a look at oil prices right now. wti crude price right now $94.83. and the ten-year there you got it 2.347 is the number. the story that everyone -- what? >> t-note or a t-bill? >> t-note. >> i