Carter: "Israeli" Siege an Atrocity
Source: Alalam TV, 18-04-2008
GAZA CITY--Former US President Jimmy Carter has defended his meetings with Hamas officials, describing the 'Israeli'-imposed siege on the Hamas-ruled Gaza as an "atrocity."
Carter said that it was necessary to talk to all parties to achieve peace.
The former US president met Thursday for the second straight day with Hamas officials, holding talks with some of the group's leaders from the Gaza Strip in the Egyptian capital.
The meetings came as 18 Palestinians, including a cameraman for an international news agency and three Zionist soldiers were killed in an 'Israeli' helicopter-backed incursion that marked deadliest day in the Hamas-ruled territory in weeks.
He is expected Friday in Syria - the latest stop on a tour he calls a private Mideast peace mission - where he said he will meet with Hamas' exiled political chief Khaled Mashaal, as well as Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The meetings with Hamas have drawn sharp criticism from 'Israeli' and US officials.
But Carter strongly defended the need to reach out to Hamas, which won Palestinian parliament elections in 2006.
In a speech Thursday at the American University in Cairo, Carter said that although "there is very strict restraint or prohibition against any US or 'Israeli' official speaking with Hamas ... I know there are some officials in the Israeli government who are quite willing to meet with Hamas and maybe that will happen in the near future.''
Referring to prompted deadly 'Israeli' military assaults on the crowded Mediterranean coastal territory, he added that any "killings of civilians is an act of terrorism."
"You know that for every 'Israeli' killed in any kind of combat, between 30 to 40 Palestinians are killed because of the extreme military capability of 'Israel','' Carter said.
Carter lamented that "very little progress has been made" in the 30 years since he brokered 'Israel's' historic peace agreement with Egypt, bringing him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Before Carter's appearance at the university, a Hamas delegation with about 15 members was seen heading into the hours-long meeting at a Cairo hotel with Carter.
The meeting was closed to the media and held under heavy security shortly after Carter and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met.
The Hamas delegation in Cairo, headed by Gaza leaders Mahmoud Zahar and Said Siyam, was not available for comments later Thursday.
Zahar, in commentary published in The Washington Post Thursday, said Carter's talks with Hamas were "sensible" and would bring "honesty and pragmatism to the Middle East while underscoring the fact that American policy has reached its dead end.''
Hamas officials have touted the meetings as a recognition of their legitimacy after their 2006 election victory.
The Islamic resistance group opposes peace negotiations with 'Israel' and its charter calls for the Jewish regime's destruction.
In his editorial, Zahar said no peace plan can succeed "unless we are sitting at the negotiating table and without any preconditions.''
But he said negotiations were not possible until 'Israel' withdraws from the West Bank and dismantles settlements, then talks could be begin on the return of Palestinian refugees.
After his planned trip to Syria, Carter is also to visit Saudi Arabia and Jordan before returning to 'Israel' late Sunday.
GAZA CITY--Former US President Jimmy Carter has defended his meetings with Hamas officials, describing the 'Israeli'-imposed siege on the Hamas-ruled Gaza as an "atrocity."
Carter said that it was necessary to talk to all parties to achieve peace.
The former US president met Thursday for the second straight day with Hamas officials, holding talks with some of the group's leaders from the Gaza Strip in the Egyptian capital.
The meetings came as 18 Palestinians, including a cameraman for an international news agency and three Zionist soldiers were killed in an 'Israeli' helicopter-backed incursion that marked deadliest day in the Hamas-ruled territory in weeks.
He is expected Friday in Syria - the latest stop on a tour he calls a private Mideast peace mission - where he said he will meet with Hamas' exiled political chief Khaled Mashaal, as well as Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The meetings with Hamas have drawn sharp criticism from 'Israeli' and US officials.
But Carter strongly defended the need to reach out to Hamas, which won Palestinian parliament elections in 2006.
In a speech Thursday at the American University in Cairo, Carter said that although "there is very strict restraint or prohibition against any US or 'Israeli' official speaking with Hamas ... I know there are some officials in the Israeli government who are quite willing to meet with Hamas and maybe that will happen in the near future.''
Referring to prompted deadly 'Israeli' military assaults on the crowded Mediterranean coastal territory, he added that any "killings of civilians is an act of terrorism."
"You know that for every 'Israeli' killed in any kind of combat, between 30 to 40 Palestinians are killed because of the extreme military capability of 'Israel','' Carter said.
Carter lamented that "very little progress has been made" in the 30 years since he brokered 'Israel's' historic peace agreement with Egypt, bringing him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Before Carter's appearance at the university, a Hamas delegation with about 15 members was seen heading into the hours-long meeting at a Cairo hotel with Carter.
The meeting was closed to the media and held under heavy security shortly after Carter and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met.
The Hamas delegation in Cairo, headed by Gaza leaders Mahmoud Zahar and Said Siyam, was not available for comments later Thursday.
Zahar, in commentary published in The Washington Post Thursday, said Carter's talks with Hamas were "sensible" and would bring "honesty and pragmatism to the Middle East while underscoring the fact that American policy has reached its dead end.''
Hamas officials have touted the meetings as a recognition of their legitimacy after their 2006 election victory.
The Islamic resistance group opposes peace negotiations with 'Israel' and its charter calls for the Jewish regime's destruction.
In his editorial, Zahar said no peace plan can succeed "unless we are sitting at the negotiating table and without any preconditions.''
But he said negotiations were not possible until 'Israel' withdraws from the West Bank and dismantles settlements, then talks could be begin on the return of Palestinian refugees.
After his planned trip to Syria, Carter is also to visit Saudi Arabia and Jordan before returning to 'Israel' late Sunday.
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