Former President Jimmy Carter, following his meeting with Hamas leaders, is reporting that Hamas is willing to accept a peace settlement with Israel:
JERUSALEM (CNN) — Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday that Hamas is prepared to accept peace with Israel if the Palestinians approve any agreement negotiated with Israel.
Carter’s comments came after controversial meetings Friday and Saturday in Damascus, Syria, with exiled militant Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal.
“If President (Mahmoud) Abbas of the Palestinians and Prime Minister (Ehud) Olmert reach an agreement for peace, and if it is submitted to the Palestinians and the Palestinians approve it… Hamas will accept it,” Carter said in a Monday interview with CNN.
I’ll admit to a healthy dose of skepticism not only about what’s being reported but about private diplomacy, generally. I remember the old Groucho Marx line about refusing to join a club that would have him as a member. Will any plan that’s acceptable to the Israelis be ipso facto unacceptable to the Palestinians? Further, although bowing to the will of the people is one of the things that democratic governments do that’s not all there is to it. Governments also sell workable plans to the people. And determine the conditions under which it will be decided what the people believe, who’s allowed to participate, and who’s allowed to decide.
Still, one can always hope.
I’ll believe it when Hamas itself comes out and repeats what Carter is claiming. My guess is they won’t.
Hi Dave,
Look, old friend…the Middle East is a contentious issue, and people disagree, but heres what Hamas actually ‘offered’ Israel…and it wasn’t peace.
No country in its right mind would accept this.
And yes, you have part of the answer right. Any plan that allows Israel to exist will be unacceptable to the Arab rulers because they are simply unable to tolerate living next to Jews in peace and equality.
Egypt and Jordan only do so because of substantial US aid,and because neither has the economic basis to wage war anymore. And those relationships could best be labeled as a lack of hostilities rather than peace.
If the Arabs were actually serious about giving succor to the refugees of the war they caused by their attempt to commit genocide in Israel in 1948,they could have resettled these refugees in their own countries,Just like Israel did with the 850,000 Jews that were ethnically cleansed out of
the Arab world.
For that matter,the Arabs were already given 80% of Palestine by partition back in 1923…it’s called Jordan
It’s about the Joooos, Dave. It always has been.
Have a good one!
ff