ISRAEL: The Carter question, part 2

The Jimmy Carter Middle East Goodwill Tour continues to generate pretty much the opposite of goodwill among supporters of Israel.

Carter arrived in Israel today for several days of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. In an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Carter acknowledged that he plans to meet with senior leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas this week in Syria.

That prospect has the blog-o-sphere at a full-boil, with perspectives running from supportive to outraged to surrealist.

Some are rallying to Carter's side. An editorial in the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star said the current U.S.-sponsored peace negotiations are pointless as long as Israel and the U.S. insist on isolating Hamas.

"Any peace deal that might be concluded in the absence of Hamas would hold little value, since it would deny the Israelis the security that hard compromises ought to bring," the article stated. "Perhaps it is time to at least begin exploring other options."

Israeli leaders are unwilling to publicly criticize a former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize winner. President Shimon Peres sat down privately with him today. But Prime Minister Ehud Olmert cited scheduling difficulties.

—Ashraf Khalil in Jerusalem

Caption: Carter with Anwar Sadat and Menachim Begin at Camp David in 1978. Credit: Public domain

P.S. The Los Angeles Times issues a free daily newsletter with the latest headlines from the Middle East, the war in Iraq and the confrontation between the West and Islam. You can subscribe by registering at the website here, logging in here and clicking on the World: Mideast newsletter box here.

Comments

[Robert Vogel]

The arguments about who is responsible for the impasse in the peace process are irrelevant !

In this increasingly dangerous world, anyone who cares about his children needs to be clear with one "foreign policy" message.

If you practice terror - If you support terror - If you threaten to wipe your neighbors off the map with nuclear weapons - then you threaten us. We will stand against you and against your "cause". We don't care what your reasons are. We will not listen to your "demands" while you threaten our children.

If this is what Carter wants to tell Hamas, then by all means I support his visit.

[kathleen]

abused children grow up to be abusers. israelis, having suffered the holocaust, now are among the world's systematic violators of human rights.
as a u.s. citizen i am tired of supporting their wars and expansion. we should spend our foreign aid on peace-making, and force israel to get along with its neighbors by cutting off the subsidies.
blessed are the peacemakers.

[michele]

I support Carter's efforts for peace. Who benefits from continued war and violence? We pay $1000/ per Israeli annually in foreign and military aide. Why? This money subsidizes continued war. Our tax money should be used to benefit Americans, not to build Israel's separation (apartheid in Afrikaans) wall, settlements & sieges. Our subsidizing the cycle of violence, with money that could help us at home, prevents any possibility of a change in the status quo, which is violence, land grabs, and sieges. 30 billion of our tax money is being given to Israel over the next 10 years. That money can be used for tuition and healthcare at home.

[John Carter]

Maybe while Carter the moron is in Palestine, he could shake the hand of one of the Hamas bombers that killed so many young US Marines.

[Jesus of Nazareth]

I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.

[v racer]

Carter is only the current appeasement. Just wait for a demo president. It's a down hill slide.

[Andy Gill]

The Carter Centre is funded by Saudi money, and Carter is Saudi Arabia's bitch.

[wakeUp]

As an Arab, I fully support Carter's vision and his willingness to stand up to the pro-Israeli lobby in the US that has become a liability. How many more Americans will have to die because of a small colonialist and fundamentalist state like Israel

Israel is a country that was esbalished by force, terror, and the systematic violation of the rights of non-Jewish natives.

Israel is a fundamentalist project, a project that takes its legitimicacy from religious dogma and from the alleged promise prounced by God in favor of a certain group of people some 5000 years ago.

How can any rational being, Arab or non-Arab, muslim or non-mulsim, accept that the idea that the house they lived in for centuries now belongs to a group of foreign-born people who subscribe to a certain pre-defined religion?

Do people know that by simply being Jewish, you get the right to settle in Israel on the top of some Palestinian village while their owners are fenced off few miles away in refugee camps??

This is the injustice that Carter fights again.

Israel for all its acheivements at its core thrives on injustice and has no time to deal with the sufferings of others....you know unless your people suffered a holocaust, Israel gets to do ANYTHING to you and you have no right to complain.

In 1948, on the very day of Israel's establishment, close to 70% of its citizens were foreign-born.

Mr Carter is one of the few who knows deep in his heart who the victims are and will be remembered by all of us Arabs and others in the world as a man of principles.

It is an honor for all us to have an America president like Mr Carter.

[PatrickNYC]

Bless you Jimmy Carter. Through you and others like you, the truth is slowly emerging. And from truth eventually will come peace.

[Bar Fly]

I have a feeling that peace is inpossible as long a Israel has that dream of expanding the country and keep the occupid parts. This dream is so deep within Israel that they cannot get rid of it nor admit it.
The US should not support that dream.
As I think, for some odd reason, that the people of Israel are more educated than their neighbours are I also expect more from them.

[William]

Jimmy Carter is not an Idiot, only simple minds revert to labels and name calling. There are alot of opinions on both sides some very heated many mis-informed.Dialog and communication has proven beyond any doubt, to be the most effective manner in resolving conflict. That being said a full and complete reporting on the day to day lives of the citizens and their problems or aspirations have never been presented. We are only getting the most narrow of views and too much of it is negative.These Human beings are living lives which are basically the same as ours only under conditions of extreme conflct,misery and poverty.Only when we get a true understanding of the full story can we sit here and honestly judge. That being said it's a terrible shame with whats occuring to the print media institutions.

[James]

here is the message of peace from the Koran

[2.190] And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits.
[2.191] And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers.

[Tom M]

Without reading about the history of the Middle East and its connection with the present day policies of the United States and Israel, one cannot truly understand the positions of the opposing sides. My recommendation would be to start by reading three books - (1) "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong, (2) "Holy War - The Crusades and Their Impact on Today's World" by Karen Armstrong, and (3) "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt.

Inflexible fundamentalist religious mythologies, exascerbated by basic human bigotry, greed, and tribalism, has created, possibly, the final chapter of the United States Empire.

[Patrick Henry]

Jimmy Carter wants to to extend his good work from 1978. He brought the Ayatollahs to power and created the legacy of Islamic extremism we face today. He is an incompetent and shameless self-promoter.

[gb]

Note to individuals stating Hamas is the legitimate elected government: they were part of an elected coalition government which included Fatah. Unable to participate in the coalition, they attacked and killed Fatah members in Gaza and overthrew the legitimate coalition government, and rule now as result of coup, not election. Part of their reason for overthrow was because Fatah was restricting their ability to lob Katyushas into Israel.

There can be no benefit from this visit unless Jimmy first renounces the Hamas use of violence (to which Israel must respond). Renunciation is unlikely to happen as Jimmy has given big wet sloppy kisses to people like Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega, no reason to expect anything different here.

[Mandaue Mactan]

Now might be a good time for Israel to do a surgical strike against Hamas, during Carter's visit.

[Fred]

I have always wondered why a preponderence of Jews votw for democommies. They are anti-semitic almost to a man ( and woman ) L'il Jimmah Cahtah was a lousy president and he is a lousy citizen too, undercutting the elected government of his country.

I give carter credit for participation in Habitat for Humanity but not much before or after that.

[Karl]

WRL056 says - "Surely not that the Israelis are deliberately targeting Palestinian women and children"

They most assuredly are. Just like the Israelis made it a point to target civilian targets in Lebanon during the 2006 war. 1119 Lebanese civilians & 250 Hezbolla died in that war, vs. 120 IDF forces & 43 Israeli civilians died.

That is a 5-to-1 civilian to antagonist ratio on the Lebanese side, vs. almost 3 IDF soldiers died for every Israeli citizen. Overwhelmingly, civilians are the 'casualty of choice' in every single conflict Israel has ever had, non-withstanding their greater technology and ability to knowledgeably target the supposed 'bad guy'.

[Josh]

No surprise that the racist supporters of Israel's crimes against humanity should feel put out by Carter -- the only American leader in fifty years to call Israel what it is -- an apartheid state.

Carter actually states things too kindly -- Israel is a far worse violator of human rights than China. There is not one Israeli leader since 1967 who is not guilty of crimes against humanity.

[ApostasyUSA]

Carter sees hope that these foolish people will one day give up fighting for the same 50 square miles. I'm glad Carter tries......I'm also glad that he could give a damn....about the opinions of some Israeli tools that don't care for peace.

I'm going to let this issue go. These fools who live in the Israeli-Palestinian state aren't looking for peace so why should I care. F the Israel, and F Palestine.

oh and Carter.........good luck..........you might be the only one serious about peace in the world...........

[Hani]

I salute you President Carter as a great American, and I long for the time for when other Americans live up to the highest standards you set.

Thanks to the peace and security you helped bring about between Egypt and Israel in 1978, I, like milliions of others, owe you personally for enhancing my security and my well being, and, who knows, perhaps even I owe you for my life.

Thank you Mr President for continuing to brave the ignorant and hateful warmongers whose only reaction is an irrational demonization of the opponent and a futile and stark policy of eternal strife, struggle and war. I live in the States now, and I see at first hand this acute problem you have here. Many Americans think their outlook is better-informed and balanced by comparison to those living in the Middle East, but in fact they are very far from the truth.

You made me respect your country and your faith while others here make me believe that, not only do they understand virtually nothing of the Middle East, they also know little of their own proud history and their own peace-loving faith.

[Rube Vogel]

The best that can be said for former President Carter is that he is a well intentioned fool. At age 84, he no longer seems capable of clear thought, analysis or objectivity. The middle-east dispute is rife with complex and difficult issues. The Palestinians must become masters of their own destiny but how can Israel be expected to share borders with an autonomous Palestinian state unwilling/unable to renounce terror that still seeks an end to the Jewish state? Whereas most countries have recognized that it is Israel that has really taken bold steps forward and the Palestinians that have turned away from peace, Carter’s recent book placed more blame on Israel than the terrorists, embracing the Palestinian view on many issues without any serious analysis. I can only assume that the millions of Arab dollars “awarded” to the Carter Center over the years have bought the desired results.

[Karl]

You'll notice that almost ALL the negative comments towards Mr. Carter's peace endeavors come from those with jewish fore & surnames. They are absolutely opposed to a FAIR peace treaty with their neighbors-- and that includes Hamas, Hezbolla, Lebanon, Syria, etc etc. They want to keep the choicest parts of West Bank & Syria, and 'return' the useless dusty sandlots to the former inhabitants. And as evidenced by the 'return' of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians, the jewish people have no intention of relinquishing absolute control of those lands they return.

Former President James Carter...Elder Statesman, Nobel Prize winner, humanitarian....We of non-jewish decent are behind your peace endeavors !

[bud]

How can purposefully killing civilians be compared to using extraordinary means to only target rocket launching terrorists?
How can unilaterally withdrawing from the West Bank and Gaza be compared to wishing to destroy Israel?
When the Oslo accords were signed, the Palestinians started the Intifada.
When Barak was willing to give up 90% of the territories for peace, the Palestinians rejected it.
The only way to end the Middle East conflict is for Israel to win it decisively.

[Max Zhiyuen]

How is it possible to have suffered so much could also be so equally cruel ? History has taught the world about the Jewish people: brave, proud, religious, dedicated and of course humiliated, discriminated and once stateless.

You would think if anyone could solve the Palestinian issues, it's Israel, it's the collective Jewish people.

Amazing how people manage to survive, the Jews did it and so will the Palestinians.....as well as all oppressed people. Ah yes, I had a dream.......got it?

[Graniteman]

Jimmy Carter should return to growing peanuts or building houses for the poor. He is a disaster of a diplomat who thinks that God has appointed him to meddle in U.S. foreign policy. Let us hope that the next president will tell Carter (and George Soros) to back off and let the State Department and Pentagon protect our national interests in the Middle East.

[WRLO56]

Will says: >>Hamas was a democratically elected government.

For the record, so were the Nazis and Robert Mugabe. The Palestinians voted Hamas into power, knowing full well it's policy toward their neighbour, Israel - that simply means they bear full responsibility for the subsequent decisions made by Hamas on their behalf.

>>Look at the statistics of the number of Palestinian women and children who have died vs the number of isrealis before you make ridiculous statements. 119 Israeli children vs 982 Palestinian CHILDREN. tell me who the terrorist is.

What do your statistics prove? Surely not that the Israelis are deliberately targeting Palestinian women and children, nor that Hamas is striving to avoid killing Israeli ch. It's far more likely that the skewed statistics result from the Israelis taking greater measures to protect their children, while Hamas uses Palestinian children as human shields and actively encourages them to put themselves in harm's way. In other words, Hamas is responsible for the disproportionately high numbers of Palestinian children killed, not Israel, which confines its attacks to military targets.

What percentage of those children were killed because they were living in an apartment complex being used as a base for a rocket launcher? What percentage of them were being used, or volunteering, as human shields? What percentage of them were actually engaging in terrorist activity? I can tell you that the percentage for the Israeli children killed is zero.

Your statistics by themselves are meaningless.

[Ali]

It's a shame we have people like aaron here who are simply uneducated about Islam and are simply Islamophobes. Aaron, where in the Quran does it say Muslims will not rest until Israel is destroyed? and also where does it say Muslims will not rest until they rule the world? I'll be waiting for these answers. In fact, many people in Israel oppose what the government is doing to the Palestinians, so for someone to say, it's just a Muslim thing, couldn't be more wrong and more uneducated.

[joe]

There was a misprint in the article:
"…senior leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas "

It should read:

"…senior leaders of Hamas, the democratically elected government of Palestine"

So, why shouldn't he meet with them?

[FormerMarine]

There will never be peace in Palestine or Israel, not in my life time or anyone today’s life time. Why is this?
It is because any discussion of peace is shouted down, and called anti Semitic. Shame on America for being so black and white and for helping continue this terrible war where so many on both sides have suffered.

[Jim Y]

I still remember the first time Jimmy Carter went to the Middle East. They were so impressed with him they named a city after him -- Damascus

(Modified Johnny Carson quote.)
(
For the Carter supporters out there - replace the first "a" with a "u" and put a "b" after the "m".)

[LouieC]

Jimmy Carter has been mentiond as the WORST president this country has ever regurgitated. The man supports ALL the WRONG things; Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Hamas, PLO, whatever... NOTHING would surprise me, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, name it. Are we that surprised that once again... the old boy is at it again? Sorry, Israel is one of our GREATEST allies... we are embarrasing this relationship by sending this old man, Jimmy Carter, to "speak to anyone about anything".

[Daniel]

Hamas is based on fundamentalist islamic dogma, their charter is based on the complete destruction of Israel and its replacement by a sharia ruled islamic state. This process would involve turning all the jews, christians and other non-islamic arabs into dhimmis (look it up), those who resist (and most if not all Israelis will resist) would have their throats slit without hesitation. Don't believe me? look at Iran and thier treatment of gays, women, non-muslims etc. etc. Still don't believe me? take a look at all those beheading video circullating the internet.

These are the same so called 'freedom fighters' as Hamas, Fundamentalist Shiite Muslims. Thier goals do not rest on negotiation, which they view as a sign of weakness and only encourages and emboldens them. The only times when Hamas wants to negotiate for Hudnas (temporary ceasefires) is when Israeli rockets are landing on thier leaders - Not when civilians are killed, which given the human shield policies of Hamas, are inevetible.

This is the same organization that just 2 days ago attacked the ONLY fuel supply line from israel to gaza (yes, Israel provide gaza with fuel, electricity, water). If they were so concerned about the population in gaza they would of chosen a military target of the so called 'occupying zioniest scum'.

Face it, Hamas is exploiting its own innocent civilian population to legitamize its attacks on the jewish innocent civilian population. Hamas doesn't care about land or the freedom of the palestinian people - which is long overdue - but the cold blooded murder of every single jewish man, woman and child within the state of Israel - given the chance Hamas would do exactly that.

The fact that a former president of the US is meeting with their leader is simply a disgusting display of poor statesmanship and should be condemmed with the strongest measures

[Salviati]

Its not surprising that you find American ZioNazi's calling for the extermination of millions of people as John Singleton does above. They have helped create an environment where that is acceptable language in the US and then pushed America to do precisely that in Iraq. Iraq turned into a disaster for everyone except for those that pushed the war. They got off scot-free and now they are pushing to extend the nightmare to Iran and any other country that is an enemy of their beloved ZioReich(Israel). People like John Singleton are criminals and traitors and should be treated as such.

[Martin Noth]

Fortunately, we Americans were able to vote Jimmy Carter out of our existence. Unfortunately the Israelis are unable to do the same.

The Palestinians will not rest until they drive the Jews into the sea. Jimmy Carter either wittingly or unwittingly supports those efforts. Anyone who denies that is deluding himself.

[Jack Smythe]

Carter is now a loon. Hamas has said it will negotiate a short term truce but wants to DESTROY all of Isael. They are supported by Iran and Syria who give them weapons and training on how to kill civilians and soldiers indescriminately. I would not negotiate with a group that was stealing all the aid money for the Palestinian people and using it to buy weapons instaed of cooperating with the other corrupt Palestinian government.
Israel targets terrorists who use civilians are human sheilds, they say it is permitted by Islam.
Hamas targets civilians indescriminantly. Last week they killed 2 civilians in charge of fuel supplies to Gaza. Now they will cry "we have to wait in line for fuel". They create a humanitarian crises by overthrowing part of the government they dont agree with. They kill Fatah supporters. Import weapons and viagra. Shut down night clubs, restaurants, and organizations they dont like then complain about the quality of life. Whats worse Carter and progressives will go along with it. They have already called Israel "apartheid:" despite the fact that 1/4 of Israeli citizens are Arab of Palestinian origin. LOON LOON LOON. Oh, don't forget the Saudi donations to the Carter pieces center. Paid to split Israel into pieces.

[Jesus of Nazareth]

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.

[Rick]

Jimmy Carter' failure to support the shah of Iran was the beginning of this Islamic terrorist mess we're in today. When Khomeni took over a new era of violence was born, thanks to the dim witted, "everyone is good" naivete of Jimmy Carter.
Apparently he is not done scewing things up. Only George Bush closely approaches Carter as the worst president this country ever had. This doddering fool should be tried and convicted of war crimes ih he gives any aid and support to Hamas, a ruthless terrorist enemy of civilization.

[Fed up]

mo al's comments about "god bless you jimmy" are a prime example of how white trash our country is. He can't even forumulate correct syntax in a sentence.
"HE'S PROBABLY THE ONLY AMERICAN NOT IGNORANT ENOUGH TO QUESTION ISRAEL'S DUMB ACTIONS."
Does he not realize he's contradicting the point he's trying to make? Thank God for uneducated buffoons. Someone has to collect my garbage.

[Ali]

Finally, someone who isn't afraid to stand up to the powerful pro Israel lobby. I find it pathetic and hypocritical that in America these days, the country of free speech, you can't even criticize or openly discuss foreign policy towards Israel although our policy angers the rest of the world and put us in harms way. The pro Israel lobby has succeeded in silencing free speech, that is until Jimmy Carter said something. Now they go to work on him calling him anti semetic? I dont know of another president who has tried so hard to bring peace to Israel. And now they throw him under the bus when he says it's not right for Israel to continue to illegally occupy the land of the Palestinians. Israel has violated International law to the most extreme levels. Finally someone is brave enough to come out and tell the truth.

[aaron]

we can discount the 2 ibrahim's contribution.

they're jihad-fuelled muslim automatons dutifully spreading islamic propaganda.

muslims will not rest until;

a) israel is destroyed
b) the entire world is dominated by islam

oppose these people, just like every other muslim, they seek only to subjugate you to islam.

[velvel in decatur]

Hamas and Hizbolla and other groups that prefer violence to honorable discussions see the proposal that talk comes first is a sign of weakness. I have not heard the exprez putting any of the responsibility for the throwing of missiles and use of Mickey Mouse as a way to teach children that suicide bombings (particularly by children) on H and H and Iran and others and that it is, at least, bad conduct.
President Carter's condescending attitude toward the Israelis and American Jews in general is typical of his attitude toward everyone else: if you don't want to listen to a Carter lecture and then do what he says there is something wrong with you. This is a fundy point of view that those of us who grew up with fundies in the South find most offensive.
If he were to succeed that would be a miracle.
If he were to fail and that caused comfort to the H and H (whose patrons want more violence) and more missiles flew and more Israelis died, that would be par for the course.

[Sebastian Hedgley]

The neocons and their ignorant supporters think that a dominance strategy of eliminating or "exterminating" your enemies will make them go away and create some kind of stability, whereas any serious student of history knows that only creates the next generation of "terrorists". The "war on terror" is a farce designed to funnel billions into the military/industrial complex and it's private "security contractors", making up to $1500 a day in Iraq and killing without repercussions.
Talking with one's "enemies" is not only a useful first step, but it diffuses the opposition. Terrorism comes from desperation and not being given a voice to confront injustice. Al Qaeda is not at war with our "freedoms" and if you believe it, you're dangerously ignorant and have swallowed the hook, line and sinker of this propagandist and destructive administration. The dominance paradigm is bankrupting our country and destroying the planet. It's time to jettison small-minded tunnel vision of the idiots supporting neocon positions and start acting adults on the world stage to create an atmosphere of cooperation and economic justice, the absence of which creates the root of desperation and terrorism.

[Web Smith]

As in Ireland, this conflict will go on for hundreds of years regardless of who you think is right or wrong. Palestine was not the homeland of the Jewish race and they had no right to take it. It was simply the most available piece of real estate. Jewish leaders started trying to do this during WWI resulting in the Balfour Declaration which had very little effect. It is said, however, that Jewish maneuvers to claim Palestine had a lot to do with our involvement in the war.

The Jews got their wish and it is up to them to keep it. It is not our responsibility or our business.

[moe al]

IVE SAID THIS BEFORE AND ILL SAY IT AGAIN: JIMMY CARTER IS A HERO. HE'S PROBABLY THE ONLY AMERICAN NOT IGNORANT ENOUGH TO QUESTION ISRAEL'S DUMB ACTIONS. OF COURSE IN A CONTINENT IN WHICH NE CRITICISM AGAINST THE JEWISH STATE LEADS TO TORTURE N THE LABELLING OF 'ANTI-SEMITIC' MR.CARTER IS INDEED A LION HEART TO DEFY HIS COUNTRY'S MESSED UP AND TWISTED DOGMA'S IN ORDER TO BRING PEACE TO THE CHILDREN OF THE THIRD WORLD.
GOD BLESS U JIMMY!

[davidjay]

Hamas was democratically elected by its people to lead. If you don't recognize democratically elected officials, then who else is there to bring to the negotiating table?

Besides, what else has worked in the past to bring peace to Israel and Palestine? Nothing but peace negotiations.

C'mon, people! Get off his back while he tries it out!

[Ben]

Hamas needs to be destroyed. Carter was a failed President and is still a coward. NO ONE in the Democratic leadership takes him seriously. They know he is a failure too.

[Gershon Moshe]

Well, what can we expect. He was the worst president in history, and he is the worst ex-president in history. Just wait until Barrack H. Obama becomes president. This will be America's foreign policy: genuflectiion to every terrorist in the world in the name of "peace." Neville Chamberlain lives.

[jlawler]

Hooray for Jimmy Carter. He is a true hero in desiring to speak to the organization freely elected by the Palestinian people. Covering your eyes and calling tham "bad guys" will never bring peace to this trobled region. Carter right on!!!!!!!

[John Folan]

Thank God for Jimmy Carter's efforts for world peace. Hamas is the elected government of the Palestinians and has shown a willingness to negotiate. Israel's long term interests involve making peace with the Palestinians and this is a step in the right direction.

[Jesse]

One of the basic rules of negotiating a conflict is realizing that sometimes there may not be a solution to the problem at hand. Often times Americans believe that every problem can be solved, that there is a solution out there and that we just have to work harder to find it. That is not true, sometimes there is no answer to the question and Americans must deal with that. We may have to consider that Israel is this situation; that there is no answer. Neither side is willing to compromise enough; give up enough, for any real progress to be made. Especially when you are dealing with an extreme militarized party like Hamas and the increasingly militarized and aggressive Israel it is going to be incredibly difficult to get them to drop their "eye-for-an-eye" tactics. The only solution I see that may bring hope for peace in the Holy Land is for an extreme event to happen. People are reactionary historically, we are not proactive in nature. So unless some extreme event happens like a riot of both populations demanding for equality and peace or worse, a harmful event like 911, things will not change. I would pray, but I stopped believing.

[Lorne Kelman]

Isn't Carter wonderful? He should first meet with Osama bin Laden to negotiate peace between Al Qaeda & the United States. (!)

[Rob]

Carter deserves credit for getting Israel and Egypt to make peace. Sadat paid for that with his life, though. Westerners are clueless about groups like Hamas or Hezbollah. We tend to think that these groups are like our groups - willing to argue their case based on reason, and make changes based on being persuaded. There is also an attempt to lump Hamas and Fatah into the same camp. Remember, Fatah was fundamentally a secular group. Hamas is based on Islamic fundamentalism. By their dogma, Spain should be Islamic and until then, it's occupied territory. The same is true of Israel. It is not policy based on reason; it is policy based on absolutes. Carter is way out of his element if he thinks that talking with Hamas is going to be a first step in making them more "reasonable." You cannot have a dialogue when one party says "let's see what we can do to achieve a peaceable solution" and the other is saying "until you are gone, my quest will continue." Imagine if some splinter group in Mexico felt that Texas having once been part of Mexico should be part of Mexico again, and was willing to back up that principle by shooting rockets across its border into Texas and sending suicide bombers into San Antonio to blow themselves and innocents up. That's what Israel has to contend with, and Carter's visit will change nothing.

[Ibrahim Khan]

John Singleton I don't think you know what you're talking about. First, talking with your adversaries does absolutely no harm to anybody. Second, you are suggesting the same policy as bush is implementing right now which is obviously not working. Third, Hamas will exist regardless of whether Carter meets with them or not.

Your idiotic comments suggest you're one of the fools that only wants to talk with whoever is on your team. As stated earlier this is the same policy that has been used for the last 7 years and obviously by now it doesn't work.

If your going to say that Hamas is a terrorist organization then you have to say that Israel is a terrorist state. They slaughter innocent men, women, and children on a daily basis (the ratio of Palestinians killed compared to Israeli's is approx. 25:1) while inflicting capital punishment on the Palestinians as a whole by cutting off supplies of aid and food.

Why else do you think that the Palestinians in Gaza were trying to rush over the egyptian border a few weeks ago to buy food that costs ten times higher than usual? It's because their supplies of the basic necessities needed to support human life have been cut off by the Israeli's.

WAKE UP!!!!!

[Edward]

Hamas are freedom fighters that have been labeled simple terrorist. Hamas is fighting for oppressed people and like it or not, they are human. If you lived in Gaza I am sure you would appreciate someone talking to HAMAS. I dont know why the zionist interest in America insist on prolonging this conflict by setting arbritrary one sided standards for how the oppressed peoples must behave.
People that are being kept locked in an intolerable Ghetto do not have to be NICE and SWEET. Its perfectly logical they would become hostile and angry as any humans would after being treated like that.
President Carter is a Hero and a great humanitarian. He is wise enough and good enough to see this world with greater perspective than the bigoted anti arab, anti muslim zionist that continue to prolong this conflict and pursue ethnic cleansing of ISRAEL.

[Ronnie Peterson]

Mr. Carter is obviously senile, and should be dealt with as such. He won't be around much longer, so let him have his last few moments of delusional glory...

[Mayer Abner]

Politics is a state of mind not a force of natural. Movement of any sort is positive. With no hope and nothing to lose you are negotiating with the black bunker mentality of desperation on both sides. Jew's - "never again", Palestinians - no hope or future only more pain. Give the Palestinians something to lose. Rich nations of the world contribute to a economic fund to assist jump starting the Palestinian economy. It's hard to let go of happiness for philosophy.

[Will]

"

If you grant an audience to terrorists, you legitimize their existence. Carter is being a classic "useful idiot", and will used as a prop by Hamas.

The only proper response to Hamas is with ordnance, until all members of that TERRORIST group are exterminated. Are we forgetting the suicide bombings, the "Martyr Mouse" show brainwashing their children?
"

Hamas was a democratically elected government. Carter is absolutely right, how can you negotiate with the leaders who were put in place by the US and not with the people who were democratically elected. Look at the statistics of the number of Palestinian women and children who have died vs the number of isrealis before you make ridiculous statements. 119 Israeli children vs 982 Palestinian CHILDREN. tell me who the terrorist is. Whats the difference between a cheap suicide bomber aimed at civilians and a million dollar missile aimed at civilians? Hamas isnt guilty of being a terrorist organization any more then the israeli government, and the israeli government moreso for the number of deaths inflicted, economic damage. Living conditions in the palestinian state are worse then the Congo. First and foremost we are all PEOPLE. jimmy carter rocks. Notice how this article gets little to no press coverage on cnn.com or foxnews.com

[Ibrahim Auduson]

Carter is taking a sensible step that the current occupiers of the White House have failed to take. Those who condemn Carter think they act in defence of Israel or or rejection of their Bush bogey, "terrorists". It's sickening that apparently enlightened people would refuse to pursue several peaceful alternatives to addressing Palestinian frustrations and Isaeki security concerns rather that the war, war and more war option tha has failed in the past, is failing now and will continue to fail.

Ibrahim Auduson/KADUNA, NIGERIA.

[Joe Barter]

John, In the exact same way that Israel considers "Hamas" terrorist, Hamas considers Israel terrorist ... so where does this leave us? With two warring factions that refuse to talk to each other?

Each side will always think "they're right" and your (Joe Singleton) response will probably reflect this fact "No Hamas is a terrorist organization, how could you compare, etc." likewise a Palestinian may say "Israel murder far more innocent civilians than Hamas, etc." what's the point? Each side thinks the other is evil but that should NOT be reason to refuse discussion because then peace can never be achieved

[milton sommers]

one of the top newspapers in the world

[John Singleton]

If you grant an audience to terrorists, you legitimize their existence. Carter is being a classic "useful idiot", and will used as a prop by Hamas.

The only proper response to Hamas is with ordnance, until all members of that TERRORIST group are exterminated. Are we forgetting the suicide bombings, the "Martyr Mouse" show brainwashing their children?