Carter: Problem isn't that I met Hamas, but that Israel and U.S. won't
21 Apr 2008
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said on Monday that the "problem" was not his decision to meet with the Islamist group, but rather the refusal of Israel and the U.S. to do the same.
Carters's comments come after he met after he met last week with the top Hamas leaders, including the group's exiled political chief Khaled Meshal, in Syria.
"The problem is not that I met with with Hamas in Syria. The problem is that Israel and the United States refuse to meet with someone who must be involved," Carter said during a speech in Jerusalem.
The former president was back in Jerusalem this week to brief Israeli leaders on his talks with Meshal regarding a proposed truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip as well as an exchange of prisoners between them.
Carter and Meshal held more than four hours of talks Friday night that discussed how the Islamist group could be drawn into a Middle East peace plan and drop its opposition to peace talks between Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the rival Fatah faction.
Carter demanded that Hamas stops firing rockets on Israel while he pursues efforts with Israel and the West to lift the siege on the Gaza strip, which is ruled by Hamas, politicians familiar with the meetings said.
Meshal said Saturday that he would announce his decision regarding Carter's proposals on Sunday.