http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_carter
The author of this article states that Jimmy Carter hopes to help negotiate peace between Israel and Palestine by serving as the spokesman for the Hamas terrorist organization. He believes that beceause Hamas controls the Gaza Strip, their cooperation is essential for peace in the region to be realized. Hamas involvement in peace talks is contrary to the wishes of the U.S. and Israeli governments because both the U.S. and Israel view Hamas as a terrorist organization that should not be negotiated with.
I had a few questions I wanted to pose to the class. Has Hamas ever been involved in any peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine? How long has Hamas been in control of the Gaza Strip, and is it likely that they will continue to hold the region. If they continue to hold the region, will their participation in peace talks become more necessary as they become more established? It seems to me that their involvement will become more important if they continue to exert influence over the Gaza strip.
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As for the questions that you have posed in your posting I am not sure on most of them but I did still want to comment on this post because I find it very interesting that decades after his presidency Jimmy Carter is still trying to make a difference in his own way.
My question is why would he make this effort with Hamas, many of the things he does i think that he is trying to get in good with the American people and the the people of the world...I have no idea how he could possibly think that by meeting with a terrorist group (regardless of the reason) would help is public image.
Very few, if any, Americans are going to look at this in a positive light as a peace negotiation. Hamas is a terrorist organization, that is the first and possibly only thing that will matter to them.
Jimmy Carter's image is not the issue and he see's that , what is important here is the lives that being lost due to a conflict that has no end in sight becuase the parties invovled dont want to negotiate.Whether we like it or not Hamas has become a big political player in Palestine,they have significant support from the people which is paramount that they are brought to the table for peace negotiations.Mandela and the ANC is still on the US terrorist list, but they are still recognized on the world stage.The lives of the Palestinians should be as important as the Isrealis.Jimmy Carter recognizes this.
I agree with Noah. At this point it is irrelevant whether we like Hamas (or if we like Jimmy Carter, for that matter). Hamas is a democratically elected political party in Palestine. If there is ever going to be peace in the region, Hamas needs to be involved.
Also, I think it is commendable that former Pres. Carter is willing to meet with Hamas despite what anyone in America thinks. This shows that the principles of peace are higher priorities than public opinion. Too many leaders make image their number one priority in life, when they should focus on doing some good in the world, despite any criticism.
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