Carter offers to act as 'communicator' between Hamas, US, Israel

Former US President Jimmy Carter, defending a contentious plan to meet the leader of Hamas, said on Apr. 14 he hoped to become a conduit between the militant group and Washington and even Israel. "Isolating Hamas is counterproductive," Carter said. Hamas rules Gaza but is ostracized by Israel, the US and Europe as a terror group. "I think it is absolutely crucial that in the final and dreamed-about and prayed-for peace agreement for this region that Hamas be involved and Syria will be involved," Carter told a business conference outside Tel Aviv. "I can't say that they will be amenable to any suggestions, but at least after I meet with them I can go back and relay what they say, as just a communicator, to the leaders of the United States," he said. Earlier that day, Carter visited the southern town of Sderot, a frequent target of Qassam rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, and met the city's mayor, Eli Moyal, and other municipal officials. "I think it's a despicable crime for any deliberate effort to be made to kill innocent civilians, and my hope is there will be a cease-fire soon," Carter said during his visit. Carter has plans to meet with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Damascus this week. Carter said that a deal for the release of Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit would top the agenda of his discussions with Meshal. The Bush administration and close US ally Israel oppose Carter's planned meeting with Meshal, whose organization won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 but was boycotted by the West for refusing to renounce violence and recognize Israel. Israel and the United States have sought to isolate Hamas. The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who brokered Israel's first peace treaty with an Arab neighbor, Egypt, signed in 1979, met President Shimon Peres the day before but was shunned by most of the political leadership, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The former US leader told Beilin that in his efforts to solve international conflicts, he worked on a principle of talking with all possible sources. Shin Bet security service has declined to assist Carter during his visit, US sources close to the matter said. An American source described the snub as an "unprecedented" breach between the Shin Bet and the US Secret Service, which protects all current and former US presidents, as well as Israeli leaders when they visit the United States. Government sources described the lack of Shin Bet during Carter's visit to Sderot, an area often hit by rockets from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, as particularly "problematic." Carter angered the Israeli government with plans to meet with Hamas leaders and for describing Israeli policy in the Palestinian territories as "a system of apartheid" in a 2006 book. Israel has also rejected Carter's request to meet jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, who is seen as a possible successor to President Mahmoud Abbas, a spokesman for Carter said. Barghouthi was convicted in 2004 of murder by an Israeli court over the killing of four Israelis and a Greek Orthodox monk in attacks by Palestinian militants. He is serving five life sentences. US sources close to the matter said the Shin Bet, which helps protect visiting dignitaries and is overseen by Olmert's office, declined to meet the head of Carter's Secret Service security detail or provide his team with assistance as is customary during such visits. "They're not getting support from local security," an American source said.