Carter calls Israel treatment of Palestinians a crime
The former president speaks to students in Cairo after meeting Hamas officials.
By Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 18, 2008
CAIRO -- Former President Carter told a university audience here Thursday that the treatment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military was "a crime" but that there were "officials in Israel quite willing to meet with Hamas" and that may happen "in the near future."

Carter spoke to students and faculty at American University in Cairo after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and a separate three-hour meeting with Hamas officials. The Bush administration and Israel have set rules to not talk to the militant Palestinian group, which controls the Gaza Strip, but Carter said, "I consider myself immune" from such restrictions.



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He added that he wasn't acting as a negotiator or mediator, but hoped that he "might set an example to be emulated" by others.

The former president's meetings with Hamas in recent days have outraged Israelis, but Carter was undeterred, even suggesting that his recent book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," was aptly named because apartheid "is the exact description of what's happening in Palestine now."

He spoke to a mostly appreciative audience, except for one American student from Amherst, Mass., who suggested that Carter was giving legitimacy to terrorists by meeting with Hamas. A murmur went through the crowd.


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The former Georgia governor said he told Hamas officials that "the worst thing" they were doing to their cause was firing rockets into Israel, which he called "abominable and an act of terrorism." Before the student could agree, Carter did his own mathematics of bloodshed. He said that for every Israeli killed in the conflict, 30 to 40 Palestinians died because of Israel's superior military and "pinpoint accuracy."

His white eyebrows bright in the spotlight, Carter then slipped back into diplomatic mode: "I'm not blaming one [side] or the other. . . . Any side that kills innocent people is guilty of terrorism."

Carter said Hamas officials told him that they would allow a referendum on the fate of Palestinians if Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the rival Palestinian Authority, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reached an agreement. Carter added that Israelis must be assured that Hamas would stop rocket attacks and suicide bombers.

"I think it's an atrocity what is being perpetuated as punishment" against the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza, Carter said. He added that the situation was "a crime" and that people were being "starved" to death living behind walls in prison conditions.

It was almost 30 years ago that Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin made peace at Camp David. Thursday, Carter took a moment to remember those times. He drew applause when, with a jab at the Bush administration, he mentioned that he didn't wait until his final days in office to try to find a way to peace.

Carter said Hamas officials told him that they would allow a referendum on the fate of Palestinians if Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the rival Palestinian Authority, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reached an agreement. Carter added that Israelis must be assured that Hamas would stop rocket attacks and suicide bombers.

"I think it's an atrocity what is being perpetuated as punishment" against the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza, Carter said. He added that the situation was "a crime" and that people were being "starved" to death living behind walls in prison conditions.

Mr.Carter
The israelis don"t want peace.
They only want Palestine without the Palestinians.
They kill them

Like so many other socialists, Jimmy (peanut farmer) Carter has done a wonderful job of pointing out the human rights violations of only 1 side.


Isn't it amazing with car bombs killing innocent Iraqi's or suicide bombers in Isreal blowing up shopping centers Jimmy Carter remains silent. However, leaps at the chance to say something negative about his own country and it's allies.


Every single terrible act an ally soldier is accused of gets published everywhere and becomes huge news talked about constantly. However, the killings by terrorists get reported *once* then the subject is dropped regardless how many innocent people get killed.

Seems to me most people want to hate themselves and their own country more than they want to hate terrorists.

What a load of bullshit. The reporting has been almost entirely one sided in favor of Israel.....

There is plenty of blame to spread around for the fucking stupidity in the ME.

Most of it is due to superstitous bullshit that NONE of them seem to be able to get past...the REAL axis of evil in the modern world? Christianity, Judaism, Islam.....

Why should Carter speak to what has already being covered ad nauseum for decades?

Get your head outta your ass and take a look at the REAL world.

__________________
"If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you." -- Billy Wilder

"Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied." -- Otto Von Bismark

Most people don't want to hate anything. Hate is self consuming. In this case, although we don't love the people who gave us 911 we also realize that they did not really start the problems. The Israelis and Aipac, et.al did.
Anyway what makes you think anybody hates the USA? Because they speak against Israel? Be for real. That is just something promoted by Jews when they run out of terms like stormtrooper or Nazi.

Regarding why the media does the news but once when an Israeli, or ally (?) gets killed...ask the Jewish controlled media that question.

To the person saying pull me head out of my *.... I ask you to please reread what I typed and how it portrays not just this thread but a slew of threads created.

As you will notice there are many posters that refuse to condemn evil acts equally but instead only boast about the evil acts of one side. I personally call a spade a spade and condemn evil for what it is regardless if it's an ally or not.


I read much more than I post and 2 things are quite evident.......

1. More evil acts are committed by the terrorists on a daily basis, often killing innocent civilians intentionally than by all Alliance forces and Isreal combined..

2. MANY more threads are created condemning the alliance and Isreal than the terrorists for evil acts or even allegations of evil acts.

There must be some motive to this trend inside the people who are posting against evils on one side only.

Yo Tileman,

Why do Arab's fight?

I have emailed a couple of news agencies like CNN, MSNBC, FOX and asked that very question. None have ever responded.

My question was worded a little differently though. It was something to the effect---

*We keep seeing the death toll of Alliance military deaths from the war on terror but why have we not seen the death toll of innocent civilians killed by suicide bombers, car bombs, RPG's/Mortars being shot into inner cities on a monthly basis total?*

That is a number I'd really like to know. Just how many innocent civilians have been the target of terrorists and been wounded or died.