Carter: Hamas Can Be Trusted

[Purveyor]

Former president, in interview with NBC, claims Palestinian group 'adhered to ceasefire', adds 'ME peace not possible without Hamas involvement'

01.26.09, 19:17 / Israel News

Hamas can be trusted, former US President Jimmy Carter said Monday, in an interview on NBC's 'Today' show. Carter spoke with NBC's Meredith Vieira about his perspective on the Middle East conflict, and his new book, "We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land."

According to the former president, Hamas never deviated from their commitments as per the ceasefire agreement. He said that, during his meetings with Hamas leaders in Damascus and Gaza, he was promised that Hamas would honor agreements between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel, as long as they were supported by public referendum.

Hamas did bad things. I'm not defending them. But they did adhere to the ceasefire fully, Carter maintained. He added that Israel has a choice between a one-state solution – which is, for Israel, a catastrophe, and a two-state solution, which everyone would support.

In his interview, Carter explained the rationale behind his book, saying "I am writing another book about the Middle East because the new president of the United States is facing a major opportunity — and responsibility — to lead in ending conflict between Israel and its neighbors. The time is now. Peace is possible."

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Ynetnews - Israel: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3662189,00.html

[bbinacan]

1. Hamas Can Be Trusted?

Bullshit.

[Jim Sagle]

2. Ahh yess...the world's greatest humanitarian weighs in once agsin,

And he is the world's greatest humanitarian, you know. Just ask him, he'll tell you.

Of course, the only humanitarian cause he actually cares anything about is "Stop the semitism!!!!!!"

[MasonJar]

3. I trust Jimmy Carter!!!!!!!!! If he says it, it is true!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bemildred]

4. Carter says if no Palestinian state, Israel will see 'catastrophe'

NEW YORK - Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter says Israel will face a "catastrophe" unless it revives the Mideast peace process and establishes an independent Palestinian state.

Carter says in an interview with The Associated Press that Arabs will outnumber Jews in the Holy Land in the foreseeable future.

He says that would leave Israel with three options - expelling many Palestinians, keeping the Palestinians but depriving them of equal voting rights, or giving them equal voting rights, which would give the Palestinians a majority.

He says with the third option, one would no longer have a Jewish state.

http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/article.en.do?pn=world&articleID=3066105

[Larkspur]

5. I don't think Israel can remain a Jewish state in the future

the birth rates favor the Palestinians and Arabs. If Palestinians only have 22% of their original land, which is what the pre-1967 borders give them, they will quickly outgrow their bounderies.

[struggle4progress]

6. Simplistic thinking aside, Carter is about the only person who ever had any

significant diplomatic success in the Middle East in recent memory

Of course, Clinton initiatives might have had more of an impact, if the following administration had built upon them, rather than consigning them to the rubbish heap