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Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (Reuters)
Last update - 12:01 14/04/2008
Jimmy Carter: Israel must talk to everyone
By Akiva Eldar
Tags: Jimmy Carter, Israel, Hamas 

Former United States president Jimmy Carter, who arrived in Israel Sunday, rejects the criticism he's been subjected to over his planned meeting with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal. According to Carter, peace cannot be achieved without talking to all the relevant people, and he will use the meeting to promote efforts to release Gilad Shalit and to uncover the fate of soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. Carter told Haaretz Sunday in an exclusive interview that he intends to check Meshal's willingness to accept the Arab League peace initiative. Carter says that acceptance of this plan by Hamas would be a very positive step.

Carter said ignoring a large segment of the Palestinian people would make it impossible to achieve peace.

Carter also said no one from the U.S. State Department had tried to dissuade him from holding the meetings, and that they were aware of his schedule.
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"Before I went to Nepal, I put in a call for Condoleeza Rice just to have a personal conversation with her about my plans," Carter said. "I went over the entire itinerary. She could not take my call because she was traveling in Europe, so she asked David Welch, who is the assistant secretary of state. We had a 20-minute conversation, which was very pleasant, never a single negative word and not a single request that I modify my itinerary."

Carter said he understood the pressures on the presidential candidates to release statements critical of his meetings with Hamas. "I forgive them all and I understand their motivations," he said.

The prime minister and the head of the opposition are not meeting with you, and President Shimon Peres' bureau said he intends to lecture you about your attitude toward Israel. How much does the criticism bother you?

"I'm disappointed, but not distressed. The most important single foreign policy goal in my life has been to bring peace to Israel, and peace and justice to Israel's neighbors. I have done everything I could in office and since I left office to do that. The security of Israel is a paramount and integral issue. The things that I have done, the things that I have written, this long trip that we've been planning for months is, in my own opinion, about consummating that goal.

"In a democracy, I realize that you don't need to talk to the top leader to know how the country feels. When I go to a dictatorship, I only have to talk to one person and that's the dictator, because he speaks for all the people. But in a democracy like Israel, there is a wide range of opinions and that counterbalances the disappointment that I have in not meeting with the people shaping Israeli power now in the government."

As the one who headed the team of observers in the election in the territories in January 2006, were you aware that Israel was opposed to elections, out of concern that Hamas would win, but that President Bush insisted they take place as planned?

"It was obvious to me that the Israelis did not want the elections to go forward and that Fatah did not want the elections to go forward, but that the U.S. did want the elections to go forward. Hamas' position is that they are perfectly willing for [Palestinian President] Abu Mazen to represent them in all direct negations with the Israelis, and they also maintain that they will accept any agreement that he brokers with Israelis provided it will be submitted to the Palestinians in a referendum. Hamas is also willing to accept a mutual cease-fire with Israel."

In contrast to active American involvement in negotiations between Israel and Egypt, the U.S. is not involved today in talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Do you believe the parties can reach an agreement without American intervention?

"I'm afraid it can't work without American input. At Camp David. I wrote every word of every proposal. In other arenas in which I have mediated, quite often I have just played a communication link."

This week you will visit Damascus. Do you believe that President Assad has an interest in renewing talks with Israel and that he can be distanced from what your president calls the "axis of evil?"

"In the long term, I have no doubt that Syria has to be involved in negotiations. I have known the president of Syria since he was a college student. If he feels that the U.S. considers him an enemy, he is much more inclined to cling to Iran. We don't talk to the Cubans, we don't talk the Iranians and we don't talk to lots of people. But I believe that when we start a peace effort, all of the players that ultimately will have to be involved in this agreement ought to be involved in the negotiations to reach that agreement.

"I do not agree with the policy [about the "axis of evil"] or with the unwillingness to talk to someone who disagrees with you unless he agrees with all your prerequisites. I agree with the recommendation of the Baker-Hamilton committee, which recommended that we do include Iran and Syria in the determination of the Iraqi war.

"When I was elected [president], there was no pressure on me to even initiate a peace process between Israel and its Arab neighbors. In fact, Israel's Arab neighbors were considered to be despicable and permanent enemies. Egypt had been to war with Israel 4 times in 25 years. I decided that the only way to make peace was to meet with everyone. I met with [Hafez] Assad in Geneva, Switzerland, I met with Sadat, I met with Rabin, King Hussein, all of them, because I didn't see a way of achieving a peaceful solution without involving all the people - on a respectful basis - who would have to pay a crucial role in the final decision."

Do you suspect that Menachem Begin misled you in on the Palestinian issue, and that he intended from the outset to conclude a separate peace with Egypt?

"Begin committed to withdraw Israeli military and political forces from the occupied territories and then also to give the Palestinians full autonomy. I had written in the text 'to give Palestinians autonomy,' and he insisted that we put in 'full autonomy.' Begin was extremely courageous, honest and fair.

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      1.   Carter isn`t volunteering 03:45  |  * BEN JABO 14/04/08
      2.   Carter is the most sincere and honest american 04:04  |  Ray 14/04/08
      3.   carter 04:13  |  steve 14/04/08
      4.   ben kelb jabo 04:13  |  juadhist 14/04/08
      5.   If he was so smart how come he was driven from office by Muslim 04:16  |  r 14/04/08
      6.   Jimmy, welcome to my Party! 04:17  |  Adolph 14/04/08
      7.   Peanut-farmer`s logic doesn`t grasp the Middle Eastern one. 04:28  |  Fortuna Benmayor 14/04/08
      8.   Just Remembered This! Carter Doesn`t Talk To Everyone! 05:34  |  Yosemite 14/04/08
      9.   `Israel must talk to Hamas leader Masha` is the equavelent of... 05:46  |  daz 14/04/08
      10.   Carter is now in charge of US and Israeli policy? 05:48  |  Lynn 14/04/08
      11.   A sound bite in his own right 05:49  |  Ron 14/04/08
      12.   To BJ (#1): Even if this is true ... 05:49  |  Morris Valentine 14/04/08
      13.   Carter 05:51  |  marty 14/04/08
      14.   a bunch of fools all of you 05:51  |  ralph 14/04/08
      15.   Hamas declares war against Catholic Church 05:52  |  Terje 14/04/08
      16.   Carter 06:14  |  Jeff 14/04/08
      17.   Thank you, #8, Yosemite.... 06:18  |  Webster 14/04/08
      18.   Why was carter allowed into israel?? 06:18  |  vik 14/04/08
      19.   PLO promises that its peace deals with Israel are false 06:19  |  Terje 14/04/08
      20.   Would Hamas stop attacks by others in Gaza as part of ceasefire? 06:22  |  newageblues 14/04/08
      21.   With friends like this!! 06:24  |  Blogowitz 14/04/08
      22.   Carter does think US should "negotiate" with Bin Ladin, but ... 06:30  |  Catherine 14/04/08
      23.   Ex Prez New Dictator 06:30  |  PK 14/04/08
      24.   Interesting comment, Terje # 15 06:34  |  Fortuna Benmayor 14/04/08
      25.   #4-juadhist-I`m Sure Carter Would Love to Talk to You! 06:37  |  PK 14/04/08
      26.   #15-Terje must talk to Carter as well! 06:41  |  PK 14/04/08
      27.   Jihadist 06:43  |  * BEN JABO 14/04/08
      28.   #2 Ray - Cleveland 06:46  |  * BEN JABO 14/04/08
      29.   Haaretz, exclusive because nobody else wants to talk to him 06:47  |  x-ray 14/04/08
      30.   #10 Lynn - Carter & Condie agreed 06:48  |  * BEN JABO 14/04/08
      31.   The Western world must kill Hamas 06:48  |  Jose 14/04/08
      32.   Carter must talk to Hamas & tell them lay down weapons!! 06:50  |  PK 14/04/08
      33.   TRUE 06:50  |  KHW 14/04/08
      34.   #5, r, because he was too peaceloving to bomb Iran 06:54  |  newageblues 14/04/08
      35.   #12 Morris Valentine 06:54  |  * BEN JABO 14/04/08
      36.   Israel must speak when spoken to! 06:55  |  PK 14/04/08
      37.   #14 Ralph 06:56  |  * BEN JABO 14/04/08
      38.   Correction to Carters words 07:03  |  Natallie Durson 14/04/08
      39.   #12-2 Morris Valentine 07:21  |  * BEN JABO 14/04/08
      40.   EVERYBODY LOVES CARTER, EXCEPT ONE GUY 07:34  |  indrajaya 14/04/08
      41.   interesting to read carter`s statement about his goal 07:43  |  scallywag 14/04/08
      42.   juadhist sdf cheap hero 07:46  |  Aby 14/04/08
      43.   THE PLO SPOKESMAN 07:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/04/08
      44.   #12, Morris Valentine 07:59  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/04/08
      45.   #22, Durson 08:07  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/04/08
      46.   Carter the terrorist appeaser 08:28  |  Michael 14/04/08
      47.   Mr. Jabo 08:29  |  Jimmy Carter 14/04/08
      48.   Carter will win the day! 08:31  |  Dutch 14/04/08
      49.   # 35 to cipora 08:57  |  eric 14/04/08
      50.   # 32 to scallywag in germany 09:10  |  eric 14/04/08
      51.   J. Carter and History?s lessons on hate and Anti-Semitism 09:15  |  Jean Van Daem 14/04/08
      52.   Carter: Now Go Chat with Ben Laden in his Cave and Stay there 09:26  |  Elly 14/04/08
      53.   Shut him out of Israel 09:30  |  Semsem 14/04/08
      54.   Well spotted Scallywag, Peace to Israel but Peace AND Justice to 09:36  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/04/08
      55.   #49, eric 09:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/04/08
      56.   My name is Israel, and Mr. PR-disaster is my best friend....... 09:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/04/08
      57.   Carter and cockroaches 09:52  |  Clickfool 14/04/08
      58.   "JIMMY CARTER" Respect for"international law"? Tell the Arabs 09:58  |  PETER SM 14/04/08
      59.   For Semsem, allegedly in New York # 53 10:05  |  Clickfool 14/04/08
      60.   regarding respect for international law 10:06  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/04/08
      61.   INDRAJAYA.EVERYBODY LOVES CARTER EXCEPT AYATOLLAH WHO SCREWED HIM 10:10  |  PETER SM 14/04/08
      62.   Carter expects Isr to give away the store to Bullish Terrorists.. 10:17  |  O`Reilly 14/04/08
      63.   Kohn - A compliment from an asp 10:21  |  Natallie Durson 14/04/08
      64.   Shame on Haaretz For Talking To This Creep 10:31  |  dyinglikeflies 14/04/08
      65.   CARTER`S COUNTERFEIT LEGACY 10:32  |  shtikipedia 14/04/08
      66.   Carter is the destroyer of global peace 10:34  |  Haldrik 14/04/08
      67.   "ISRAEL MUST where was he when Iran&Lebanon refused to go to Doha 10:34  |  PETER SM 14/04/08
      68.   Carter is the enemy of human rights 10:36  |  Haldrik 14/04/08