Former US president Jimmy Carter came under attack yet again after he announced his intentions to meet with Hamas leader Khaleed Meshal in Syria. It will not be the first time he has made headlines because of Palestine.

His 2006 book Palestine: Peace not Apartheid, which was a testimony to his interest in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, brought him a storm of criticism from pro-Israeli organisations. Prior to this, the conflict was a topic that got very little attention at his level.

Two years later, Carter's dedication to highlighting the plight of a people living under occupation is once again met with international criticism, certainly from prominent American and Israeli voices.

In the US, too, there is much focus on the fact that Carter is meeting with Hamas, which is considered a "terrorist" organisation by the US. But this is not the first meeting he is holding with Hamas.

Moreover, his schedule in no way violates any US policy as he is not officially negotiating on behalf of the US government.

And even if he were, there should no condemnation of this act since, in the words of Barack Obama (when he referred to Iran), "strong countries and strong presidents shouldn't be afraid to talk directly to [our] adversaries to tell them where America stands".

His meetings should be taken as an opportunity to spark a serious debate in Washington and shed light on existing policies and their shortcomings.

Interestingly, most news reports failed to highlight Carter's other motives behind his visit which include promoting efforts to release captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and try to uncover the fate of the two other soldiers captured by Hezbollah.

Carter remains the most successful American politician when it comes to the Middle East - he engineered the longest-lasting peace treaty between Arabs and Israel - was forgotten by the media. Also buried was his hardwork and commitment to peace and fighting poverty over the past two decades.

For the US and Israel, Hamas has committed acts of terror against Israeli civilians. The same could be said for the state of Israel however, which of late has been bombing the Gaza Strip almost daily and causing the deaths of many civilians, including children.

Yet the international community does not hold it accountable for any of its criminal actions and somehow, Israel ends up being judged differently.

Mutual goal

Hamas is a big part of Palestinian history and politics and its participation in any peace talks shouldn't even be questioned.

Moreover, neither the current US administration nor Israel can claim that their current policies towards the Palestinians have achieved their mutual goal of ensuring the security of Israelis. What we see in reality is ongoing violence has become constant.

Carter has defended his meetings in the media by stating: "It's very important that at least someone meet with Hamas leaders to express their views, to ascertain what flexibility they have, to try to induce them to stop all attacks against innocent civilians in Israel and to cooperate with the Fatah as a group that unites the Palestinians."

Since the Islamist group currently receives very little neutral media attention, Carter's sound argument could not have come at a better time. He would not be the first to advocate dialogue with Hamas, as many European, and some Arab, leaders have come out in support of the concept.

Let's look at this differently: no peace for Israel could come to life without an effective Palestinian government. And this is impossible without the involvement of Hamas.

Since winning the Palestinian parliamentary elections in January 2006, the EU and the US have tried to isolate, while strengthening its rival Fatah (which was the loser in the most free and fair elections ever allowed to take place in the Arab world).

But that formula proved a failure. In the process, the West lost credibility for exercising double-standards as far as recognising results of the elections was concerned.

Of course for Carter, talking to Hamas does not mean accepting its objectives. But he could push for constructing deals with Hamas leaders and giving both sides of the conflict another option.

Finally, it must be said that the 39th US president has done more for the Palestinians (post-presidency) than perhaps any other president. That a former US head of state is making the case for engagement with Hamas is a source of contentment for many people serious about peace.

Hopefully, Carter will have started a trend amongst US politicians with his latest contribution to peace.


Your comments


Israelis and Pro-Israel media in America fear talks because their ultimate goal is not peace. They need to keep the tension in the Middle East forever, so that they can continue their war games.
Jafar Shareef
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 15, 2008, 15:50

I really like this article and the perspective and objectivity it is presenting. Thank you.
Esmeralda
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 15, 2008, 15:00

Excellent observation but the trillion dollar question is: do Israelis and Neocons in the US administration want peace? I don't think so.
Shabbeer Moosvi
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 15, 2008, 14:10

Some of us Americans love President Carter and what he is trying to do in the name of peace. We understand talk is the most constructive way of solving problems. Talk and talk and talk. Most humane action is talk. Thank you, President Carter!
Kim
Meriden,US
Posted: April 15, 2008, 06:30