EGYPT: Carter meets again with Hamas

Former U.S. President Carter whirled into Cairo today with his Middle East roadshow, calling the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza “abominable” while adding that there are “officials in Israel quite willing to meet with Hamas” and that may happen “in the near future.”

His white eyebrows bright in the spotlight, Carter spoke to students and faculty at the American University here after talks with President Hosni Mubarak and a separate three-hour meeting with Hamas officials. The Bush administration and Israel have set rules not to talk to the militant Palestinian group but, Carter said, “I consider myself immune” from such restrictions.

He added that he wasn’t acting as a negotiator or mediator, but hoped that he “might set an example to be emulated” by others. The former president’s meetings with Hamas officials in recent days have outraged Israelis, but Carter was undeterred, even suggesting that his recent book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," was aptly named because apartheid “is the exact description of what’s happening in Palestine now.”

He played to a mostly appreciative audience, except for one American student from Amherst who suggested that by meeting with Hamas, Carter was giving legitimacy to terrorists. A murmur went through the crowd. Carter paused, and said: “My daughter was (once) arrested in Amherst.”
Laughter.

The former governor from Georgia said he told Hamas officials that “the worst thing” they’re doing to their cause is firing rockets into Israel, which he called "abominable and an act of terrorism.” Before the college student could grin in agreement, Carter did the mathematics of bloodshed. He said that for every Israeli killed in the conflict, 30 to 40 Palestinians die because of Israel’s superior military and “pinpoint accuracy.”

He then slipped back into diplomatic mode: ‘I’m not blaming one (side) or the other. . .Any side that kills innocent people is guilty of terrorism.”   

It was almost 30 years ago that Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin made peace at Camp David. In the current crisis, the former president took a moment to remember those times. He drew applause when, with a jab at the Bush administration, he mentioned that he didn’t wait until his final days in office to try to find a way to peace.

Carter said he had “an almost brotherly love for Anwar Sadat.” But Sadat and Begin didn’t get along. Carter recalled that until the last minute it was uncertain whether there would be a deal. He remembered autographing photographs for Begin’s grandchildren. He delivered them to the prime minister cabin's at Camp David. Begin flicked through the photos and read the names of the children out loud. Carter said Begin had tears in his eyes.

Begin turned to Carter and said: “Let’s try again” to make peace.

—Jeffrey Fleishman in Cairo

Photo: Jimmy Carter with his wife, Rosalynn. Credit: Associated Press.

Comments

[Omar Othman]

I am a Palestinian-American who has lost both family and friends; Muslim, Jewish and Christian, to this horrible war that Israel and the United States have inflicted upon the world. There is no security reason for withholding recognition of a unified Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders with adjustments to include villages and cities with a Palestinian-Arab majority going to Palestine and some illegal settlements going to Israel. Israel and the United States do not want peace in the region or in Palestine. Israel daily commits atrocities, and Hamas kills civilians, not at the same rate, but they are still just keeping war and hatred alive. It is time for peace so that this stupidity does not escalate into a crisis threatening the entire population of the world, and Jimmy Carter seems to be the only courageous peace-maker willing to bring Palestinians and Israelis together. He has done so much for Israel, for Arabs and for the world that I fail to understand such enmity on Israel's part. I hope there is a plebiscite in both Israel and Palestine to accept peace agreements because the representatives of their respective governments are corrupt, racist, short-sited and are enemies of the peoples of both Israel and Palestine who have suffered so much.

[Kim]

It is difficult enough for me to address Jimmy Carter, who I was unfortunate enough to have served under while I was in the military, as President because of all the damage he did to the United States as well as the military during his horrific 4 years as president. Where does he get off meeting with terrorists anyway, hasn’t he done enough damage to this country already? I hope they do revoke his passport. He deserves anything and everything he gets from his arrogance and He will go down in history as America’s worst president.

[wilson]

Back in 2006 , the then Israeli Defense Minister, Peretz, said, "The Israeli people want Victory". Not peace. And what would the Zionists have to say to Hamas? Remember Ben-Gurion's quote, "A million Arab lives are not worth one Jewish fingernail." The Zionists are provoking the Christian goyim and the Muslim goyim to kill each other and they're getting paid by Apocalyptic Christians (sic). Meanwhile, the du dust is blowing and flowing toward Tel Aviv.

[Amira Nour]

Palestinians are Christians,Jews and Muslims. For some reason the World looks upon Palestinians as Muslims only. Well they are wrong. Mr Carter is a humane man, he sees both sides of the coin, and if he finds that Israeli actions are not equal to Palestinian actions, that is One Israeli = 40 Palestinians, he is just being honest, that Hamas should stop firing rockets into Israel, he is right.
I do not understand why, when a man like Carter tries to bring peace to this problem, he is looked down upon.

Why are those against him so bloodthirsty?

[Nabil Marzouk]

Carter should be ashamed of himself and has shamed and disgraced most Americans and the World Community. His hatred to the 5 Million Jews that were kicked from their Arab homeland since Moses is visible and clear. I am ONE of thoses disappropriated that lives as a refugee in America.Carter chose to support the Palestinian killers that left Israel eagerly and willingly in 1948 to join the Arab Armies to kill Christian and Jews. They have been sustained by the wellfare and donations of the Christian and Jews that they meant to kill in the first place to remain refugees in Gaza. The 5Million Jews immigrated to Israel and the countires of the world and started from scratch. Should'nt Carter bring their pain up similarly to his blind support to the Palestinian killers. SHAME ON YOU CARTER

[Anne Gebken]

In your Carter-Hamas story, you referred to Carter as the former Georgia governor- that's fourth-grade reporting and we deserve better in LA Times.

[Steve Marzicola]

Why the slur, "roadshow"?