Former President Carter said Monday that Hamas — the Islamic militant group that has called for the destruction of Israel — is prepared to accept the right of the Jewish state to "live as a neighbor next door in peace."
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(Photo: AP Images / Tara Todras-Whitehill)Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter delivers a speech during a meeting held by the Israeli Council of Foreign Relations in Jerusalem, Monday, April 21, 2008. Carter said Monday that Hamas is prepared to accept the right of Israel to 'live as a neighbor next door in peace.' Carter also said Hamas won't undermine Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' efforts to reach a peace deal with Israel. He said Hamas is ready to accept a Palestinian state the West Bank and Gaza.
But Carter warned that there would not be peace if Israel and the U.S. continue to shut out Hamas and its main backer, Syria.
The Democratic former president spoke in Jerusalem after meeting last week with top Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, and his deputy in Syria. It capped a nine-day visit to the Mideast aimed at breaking the deadlock between Israel and Hamas militants who rule the Gaza Strip.
"They (Hamas) said that they would accept a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, if approved by Palestinians and that they would accept the right of Israel to live as a neighbor next door in peace," Carter said.
In Damascus, Mashaal said Hamas was offering Israel a 10-year truce if it withdraws from all lands it seized in the 1967 war.
He confirmed that Hamas would be satisfied with a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders — implicitly accepting that Israel would exist alongside that state. But Mashaal stressed the group would never outright recognize the Jewish state.
"We agree to a (Palestinian) state on pre-67 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital with genuine sovereignty without settlements but without recognizing Israel," Mashaal told reporters.
He appeared to be referring to east Jerusalem, since Israel held west Jerusalem before 1967. After the 1967 Israeli-Arab war, Israel declared the entire city of Jerusalem as its capital.
The borders they referred to were the frontiers that existed before Israel captured large swaths of Arab lands in the 1967 Mideast war — including the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza.
In the past, Hamas officials have said they would establish a "peace in stages" if Israel were to withdraw to the borders it held before 1967. But it has been evasive about how it sees the final borders of a Palestinian state and has not abandoned its official call for Israel's destruction.
Israel, which evacuated Gaza in 2005, has accepted the idea of a Palestinian state there and in much of the West Bank. But it has resisted Palestinian demands that it return to its 1967 frontiers.
In Washington, the State Department dismissed Carter's assessment of his meetings, saying there was no indication Hamas wanted peace with Israel.
"What is clear to us is that there certainly is no change in Hamas' position," said deputy spokesman Tom Casey. "It does not recognize Israel's right to exist, it has not eschewed or walked away from terrorism and violence, nor has it said it will honor any of the previous agreements that have been made with the Israeli government."
Though the State Department said it advised Carter not to meet with Hamas, Casey said it was open to hearing from him about his talks. "I am sure if he would like to offer any thoughts to us we would certainly be happy to hear them," Casey said.
Israel considers Hamas to be a terrorist group and has shunned Carter because of his meetings with Mashaal and other Hamas figures. Hamas has been behind dozens of suicide bombings and other attacks that have killed some 250 Israelis.
Syria harbors Hamas' exiled leadership in its capital, Damascus, and supports the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas who warred with Israel in the summer of 2006. The U.S. considers both Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations. Continue >>
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I JUST LOVE ALL YOU RIGHT WINGERS, CARTER IS THE ONLY PRESIDENT WHO BROKERED A PEACE DEAL BETWEEN ISREAL AND EGYPT, WE NOW KNOW HOW GREAT BUSH'S POLICY IS WORKING, AND IT'S A JOKE. YOU ALL ARE SO GUNGHO ABOUT THESE WARS, WHY DON'T GET OFF YOUR @$$ES AND JOIN THE MILITARY AND GO FIGHT, INSTEAD OF SENDING EVERYONE ELSES KIDS TO GO UPHOLD YOUR HOLY VIEWS ....YOU ALL ARE A JOKE.
Former President Carter has become nothing more than a sad joke. It is indeed a shame to see a person who once held the most powerful postion in the world reduced to nothing more than a willingly ignorant mouth piece for terrorists. Does anyone, on either side, even take him seriously anymore. Probably not, and rightfully so.
Mr. Carter, who's side are you on? The hamas are terrorists. What part of that sounds reasonable or rational?
Mr. Carter I have ocean front property to sell you in Arizona-- Seriously, I pray for Light to penitrate the darkness that has coverd Mr. Carters heart. He is unable to decern the truth from the lies. He doesnt know what the practice of hoodna is, 'Its islamic saying a lie in order to gain ground". May America not be listed(this time) as one that called for the destruction of the root site of our faith/Jews home.Amen.
Carter believing these terrorists is about as stupid as believing that if you strap a bomb to yourself and blow up yourself along with as many as you can will lead you to martyrdom with seven virgins.
Typical of these Muslims terrorist to demand more land in exchange for nothing to the Israelis
Same old jihadi sentences again and again.
Ah so many accords, the Israeli gave more land and receive more Qassam in Sderot and Ashkelon. Good business eh? Nope. Return the hostage first then the talks. I personally believe that Abu Mazen and Fatah can really help in the safe release of Corporal Shalit.
Next, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and East Jerusalem is included in this capital for sure. What an utter moronic gesture from Moshe Dayan in ordering the Israeli flag removed from the Dome of the Rock and giving administrative control of the Temple Mount over to the Waqf, a Muslim council shortly after Jerusalem was captured in 1967.
Meanwhile The Palestinian and Arab Muslims can pick any town or city from Timbuktu to Esfahan as their capital. Thank you very much
Taqiya - a form of sanctioned lying in Islam, which is practiced when one fears for one's life, the lives of one's family members, or for the preservation of the faith. In those situations, according to most Shi`a jurisprudents, Taqiya is required!
One Shiite Tradition promoting Taqiya is:
Imam Jafar Sadi (R) said: "Associate your opponents only outwardly and oppose them inwardly." (Ft. #1, Usool al Kafi, p.244)
Now compare Hamas' claim of "living as a next door neighbor in peace" with Israel with these verses from the Qur'an and Hadiths, regarding how Muslims are to treat Jews and Christians. Keep in mind that Hamas is a fundamentalist Islamic group:
Qur'an 5:51
O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. Lo! Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.
Qur'an 9:29
Fight those who believe not in Allah and the Last Day and do not forbid what Allah and his messenger have forbidden - such men as practise not the religion of truth, being of those who have been given the book (i.e., Jews and Christians) - until they pay the tribute out of hand and have been humbled (humiliated).
Sahih Muslim (Hadith), Book 026, Number 5389:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you and when you meet any one of them on the roads force him to go to the narrowest part of it.
The only Qur'anic way for Hamas and Israel to co-exist in "peace" is for Israel to submit to Dhimmitude. But Israel isn't about to become Dhimmitized, relegating themselves to second-class citizenship status in their own country, and willingly paying Jizya to the terrorists of Hamas. Not going to happen, nor should it.
So ... Hamas wants to "live in peace with Israel?"
Sure sounds like Taqqiyah to me ...
Jimmy Carter is deluded, IMHO.
Who cares what Jimmy Carter says??!!?? He is no friend of Israel, and he is a dupe of Hamas!!! Let us not listen to false prophets of peace!!! Carter IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED!!!!
REPENT, JIMMY CARTER, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND!!!!
Oh that's cruel ... To Neville Chamberlain. Compared to president Pollyanna, Chamberlain was downright realistic. Carter typifies the far left's hatred of this country. He grandstands for peace at any price while his actions only serve to demonize Israel and the US.
Hammas knows full well that Israel will never agree to the Pre-'67 stipulation as that would cede Jerusalem to arab control and that, my friends will never happen. This isn't a peace offer on the part of Hammas, it is an isult to Israel and another chance for the left wing loonies to say see, the problem is all Israel. The arabs are reasonable the Jews are intolerant.
Politics is all Hooey and this is politics at its worst. I'm glaqd I'm just passing thru
Carter ought to take a long look at himself. He will see the ghost of Chamberlain smiling back at him...Yep. The guy who came back to England telling the English that Hitler only wanted the Check Republic, Poland, France .. and peace along wit all that....which Chamberlain exclaimed...yes, yes, yes! and is that all?!
Than he came back to Europe and exclaimed...we shall have peace in our times!
Excellent words (STM). This guy lives in fantasy land. We should revoke his passport and make him live on the west bank. I read an article in Time recently about how the Palastinians in East Jerusalem are afraid Hamas will get their neighborhoods in some deal for peace. They don't want Hamas, why should we? Most ordinary Palastinians are just trying to raise a family and stay away from those who are trying to blow everyone up. It is amazing how the media pictures him, Billy Clinton, Al Gore, etc. as such men of insight. He gets more media coverage now then when he was president.
It is hard to believe this man believes these terrorist. All he got was a bunch of maybe kinda sortas. Don't believe him Israel. They are already changing what they said and Carter just left. Pre-1967, Ben Gurion offered them the right to live in peace then and they have done nothing to show themselves worthy.