Over the objections of the Bush Administration and after 8 years of its failure to make any headway and losing any sense of direction towards real peace with their famous "roadmap", Jimmy Carter visited Israel and Syria this week.
There were calls in Congress by some to revoke his passport for daring to talk directly with the leadership of Hamas. You see, George W. Bush doesn't deal with terrorists or governments who sponsor terrorism, unless it is terrorism that we support or terrorists that we can use to terrorize the terrorists or...uhh...
So the reactionary yahoos in Congress condemn Jimmy Carter for ignoring their prejudiced half formed ideas and forging ahead and trying to build bridges..
He was denied security in Israel because they were so upset that he would perhaps actually talk to Syria. Carter thinks that the American Administration influenced Israels decision.
He was not empowered to broker any type of deal, but he walked away from his meetings with Assad and the leaders of Hamas with much more than any negotiation team has done since his days in office.
He actually got Hamas to say that if The Palestinian Authority and Israel can agree on a two state solution and it is ratified by the Palestinians, then Hamas will go alog with it and officially recognize Israel. That is much more than they have have ever given and he has it on paper.
Carter also believes that Syria would like to have good relations with America and the present attitude of the Administration is what is driving them towards Iran. It's a matter of praticality. Assad wants peace with Israel.
Israeli Officials opposed Carters meeting with Hamas leaders saying that doing so legitimatizes a group they consider to be a terrorist organization. Mr. Carter said, "The problem is not that I met with Hamas in Syria, the problem is that the Israelis and the Americans refuse to meet with these people."
Of course, this is far from a simple solution. There are many problems, one of the biggest stumbling blocks is in Palestine. Hamas and Fatah would have to be able to come to some sort of agreement about governing Palestine and resolve their differences before any kind of agreement could begin.
But in 72 hours, one committed man made more real progress in opening doors and building bridges than all of the beligerent posturing and false poses of the last 7 years!
This is why Carter deserved the Nobel Peace Prize.
10 comments:
I don't agree with Hammas methods but, the policy of ignoring them and hoping they go away has gotten everyone involved nowhere.
Hammas has to realize that Isreal ISN'T going to just disappear or, be driven into the sea AND, Hammas needs to reel in it's rogue elements who pop out of the woodwork to launch rockets, snipe and kidnap.
Isreal needs to understand that Hammas wasn't borne due to Isreal's good deeds towards the Palestinians and that their policies are at best...fucked up.
I think Carter simply went against the grain of politics and decided to see what these people have to say.
Their demands don't seem all that unreasonable. In exchange, Isreal will want security guarantees that Hammas will have to enforce even if it means jailing "patriots" who violate the peace.
THAT will be the lynchpin since the Palestinians have a history of breaking peace agreements via "rogue elements" and Isreal has a history of over doing it's retaliations.
Carter may have accomplished nothing by going there but, at least he's ballsy enough to take a first step.
^Fantastic analysis!
Steve, I never know what level of sarcasm you are operating at, but I think Sepp realistically laid it on the line and Carter has to be acknowleged for taking the first steps and actually talking instead of drawing another line in the sand...that desert is only so big....
I was being serious, I thought Sepp's analysis of the situation was spot on and pretty much how I feel about the whole thing.
Imagine a 'failed president' like jimmy Carter having the balls to confront the Israel-Palestine problem head-on!
Meanwhile, George Bush locks himself in the Oval Office and throws darts at Carter.
'Failed president?'
Everytime I see the price of gas and hear the word "inflation", I'm reminded that Bush has a lot in more in common with Carter than people think.
In today's Toledo Blade, there were 3 letters to the editor condemning Carter. No doubt, each was written by a right-wing zionoist who received a 'script' from the American Zionist Party.
Muddy, most conservatives I know (not republicans but, conservatives) are fed up with supporting Isreal. You know, that "friend" we have in the mideast that is constantly being nailed for spying on us?
I say screw em. Let them fund their war against the palestinians without our money and munitions and see how long it takes them to ask Carter to return and negotiate some more.
I'll even go this far, the day we drop Isreal from our welfare rolls, gas pump prices will drop by at least 1 dollar.
Oil went up to $119.27 a barrel today and the analysists are attributing the rise to 2 things; another confrontation between an American Warship and Iranian Speedboats in their waters and Hillary "We can obliterate them" Clinton!
Yeah I read about that Tonkin gulf III story.
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