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Carter Meets with Hamas

Posted by PAUL SILVER in At TMV.
Apr 18th, 2008 | Comments

High up on the controversy meter is Carter meets Hamas chief over Israeli, US objections.

I don’t believe that President Carter’s intention is to legitimatize the tactics of Hamas but rather to legitimatize some of the issues that motivate Hamas and the people who voted them into power. That Hamas is belligerent and refuses to acknowledge the right of Israel to exist is a major hurdle in advancing peace. But the Israeli response is to provocatively expand settlements in land seized in past wars. This dramatically dilutes the perception that Israel is taking the high road in dealing with a community that believes it was booted out of its homeland by foreign powers. Non Partisan people around the world may see that Israeli policy is provoking conflict rather than responding to reasonable claims.

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runasim

Rice and other US officials are denouncing Carter while remaining mute on the new israeli settlements in the West Bank.
What kind of message does that send to Hamas and the world?

The same arguments are used in re Hamas as were used in re Iran. Preconditions to talks. Those tactics didn't get Iran to the table, and they won't get Hamas to capitulate. For Hamas to accept the right of Israel to exist is the end goal,, so how can it be a precondition?

Israel and its US backers are engaged in a vey dangerous gamble. They are gambling that a strategy that has failed in the past will work with Hamas, for some reason.

Holly_in_Cincinnati

It is not Israeli policy but Israeli existence which "promotes conflict."

Wouldn't YOU build houses for your children? The West Bank and Gaza legally and morally belong to the State of Israel. That Israelis, for the sake of peace, are willing to cede any part of it to Palestinian Arabs should tell you all you need to know.

runasim

Holly,
I know that's what you believe.
Hamas believes what it believes, also basing its beliefs on moral grounds.
The two sides are caught listening only to their own narratives, while playing deaf to the other's narrative.

At this point, I have to ask: Is real estate really more important than showing good faith in negotiating for peace?

Pragmatically speaking, if Hamas is given no say at all in whatever agreement the Abbas government and Israel may reach, I can't see that as inducing them to stop the violence. On the contrary, It would keep them permanently dedicated to therr tactics of terror, that being the only means available to have their say.

Regardless of what you may feel Israel has the right to oo, with exercising rights comes responsibility for the consequences. .

TexasDutchie

When you clear the layers of political and religious reasons of 'right', you'll see more clearly that it has to do with water. I don't know if Israel still has an open door policy for any Jew in the world who can immigrate, but at some point, the itty bit of land is fully used. Not to mention all the water it takes for all the functions of society to support a nation bulging with more people it can sustainably take care of.
Ingrid aka TD

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