Israel Turned Down An Offer By Jimmy Carter And Kofi Annan To Mediate A Cease-Fire With Hamas

[Purveyor]

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The former U.S. president and former U.N. secretary-general belong to The Elders, an international conflict-resolution group established last year by British tycoon Richard Branson.

Several weeks ago, the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem received a proposal that Carter and Annan come to Israel along with two other Elders, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former Irish President Mary Robinson, to pursue a truce with Hamas and promote peacemaking with the Palestinian Authority.

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"Israel believes that at this time, it would not be right to introduce more players into a diplomatic process that is already in a complex stage," the newspaper quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying in a letter to The Elders.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, had a blunter rebuff.

"Nothing good could come out of this initiative," he told Yediot. "Most members of the group, especially Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter, are people who nurse prejudices and have been shown to be hostile to Israel."

---EOE---

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/107725.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. This is sad

one wonders if the players want to have peace. What did the PA say to the proposal?

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. "Hostile to Israel" is codespeak for "Ask Israel to make 1% of the concessions they ask Palestine"

:eyes:

[bemildred]

3. Gee, who could have predicted this? nt

[msmcghee]

4. The response was probably similar to what would have . .

. . happened if Netanyahu and Anan had approached Hamas with an offer to broker a ceasefire. It would have been a PR attempt to discredit Hamas (as if were possible to discredit them any further).

Carter lost his "honest broker" creds long ago. I'm sure Carter knew the offer would be rejected. That's why this was just an attempt by Carter to embarrass Israel and keep his own name in the spotlight. I'm no expert on these things but I know enough to realize these things are done with quiet diplomacy behind the scenes before any public announcements are made - so as not to embarrass or further antagonize the parties - if they are at all serious.

Maybe Carter's working on another book smearing Israel and needed some new material.

[azurnoir]

5. Well so glad you could set us straight

Carter just wanted material for his new book? Do you know the release date? And I am sure Netanyahu would gladly make that offer to Hamas if only they would accept:sarcasm:

Carters creds, why is it against the will of many rightwingers Camp David still stands?

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Of course it would.

But, then again, that fact will fly over the heads of those who don't really care about resolving the conflict, because when it is resolved, how will they be able to continue to justify their hate for Israel?

[azurnoir]

21. The subject of the post was Jimmy Carter n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

22. So analogies are not allowed? Interesting. nt.

[azurnoir]

23. Seemed apretty blunt statement to me n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

25. You are aware analogies are generally statements, right? nt

[LeftishBrit]

26. This isn't a Carter initiative specifically

It is a group of 'Elders' - mostly retired leaders from various parts of the world - which was recently set up as an organization for independent conflict resolution, with the financial support, and possibly on the initiative, of British entrepreneur Richard Branson. It is by no means solely interested in I/P issues.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/17/africa/17elders.php

(And I agree that Carter's involvement could be seen as a negative, because the Israelis would see him as biased. But by the same token, I think that Blair should not have been chosen as the peace envoy in the current negotiations, because the Palestinians would see him as biased. I think that people with no previous 'baggage' in the situation are generally the best mediators.)


As regards the specific issue: I think that Israel should be prepared to negotiate with anyone *who is willing to negotiate with them*; and yes, if Netanyahu ever did offer to negotiate with Hamas - very improbable, but so were the Begin/Sadat negotiations, - I think that the Palestinians should press Hamas to take up the offer! (But I know that my views here are very different from most Americans on either side, because of the Northern Ireland agreement, which was reached in part because former extremists and even terrorist-supporters on both sides were involved in the negotiations).

However, what's the evidence that Hamas *are* willing to negotiate, just because the Elders are suggesting it? According to another thread here, Hamas are angrily demanding that the Arab League withdraw their peace proposal and use violence instead of negotiations. If they reject the Arab League's proposals, why would they be expected to follow those of the Elders?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

6. Mind boggling. The Israeli government's commitment to peace is unmatched. nt

[LeftishBrit]

27. Unmatched?

Seen this thread?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x206805

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Behind the Aegis]

9. What an ignorant post.

Israel is very much interested in peace, what they aren't interested in is rolling over and playing dead. As for the money, they will continue to get that as long as the US sees Israel as the only real foothold in that region.

Your second line is flat out stupid. I do love the casual reference to the Holocaust and it is that statement as to why you should be "embarassed to be (nominally) Jewish" not, the actions of the Israelis.

[TooBigaTent]

12. Watching Israel for many decades has shown me that the government is NOT

interested in peace. If it was, it would not have pursued polkicies that have driven the Palestinians to extreme reaction to Israeli persecution.

Collective punishment is but one sign of the immorality of that country. Keeping the Arab majority in a state of poverty and imprisonment, destroying their ability to farm and provide food for their families, and murdering officials, students, civilians with their "targetted" strikes are othes.

The genocide being waged against the inhabitants of the area by those who came from elsewhere is the same thing that we Americans perpetrated against the Native Americans. Might does not make right, but it does work.

Some would hope that being historical victims of bigotry would have educated Israeli Jews. Instead, they fled their homelands and decided to become the oppressors to the people ALREADY living in the "promised land." That is what embarrasses me and makes me ashamed to come from that ethno-religious background.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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[Phx_Dem]

19. self delete

sd

[Vegasaurus]

8. What would be the point?

Hamas has already claimed time and time again that it will not give up its resistance, that it will take back all of "greater Palestine" (and kill all the Jews who don't flee), that it doesn't even recognize Israel.

Who in Hamas is there to negotiate with? A body that values violence over life, and that has sworn that it will annhilate the very country it purports to want a ceasefire with (but doesn't recognize)?

Not to mention that Hamas can't control any of the militants, including its own "militant wing".

Israel did the right thing, until Hamas can temper its inflammatory rhetoric and come to the table as a willing partner, not a snake in the grass.

[azurnoir]

11. delete n/t

[azurnoir]

13. Curious , for all the claims

as to much Israel wants peace, look at any thread here mentioning negotiations with Hamas and see who is saying no. In fact negotiating with Hamas has been equated to "rolling over and playing dead" or in the extreme being "marched into ovens", not to mention convoluted motives on the parts of the negotiators all this hyperbole over the mere suggestion of Israel sitting down and talking with the entity who they are fighting with.

[Behind the Aegis]

15. Pshaw.

Hamas no more supports negotiating with Israel than the other way around, so don't let that little fact get in your way. However, Israel has been negotiating and talking with Palestinian representatives. I wouldn't expect African-Americans to negotiate with the Klan, why should Israel?

[azurnoir]

24. see post #20 n/t

[Vegasaurus]

16. Why are you so incredulous about this?

Let's look at the facts:

1) Hamas is a terrorist organization who has sworn to be the cause of Israel's destruction. Read their charter.

2) even if the first point weren't true, Hamas doesn't recognize Israel. Who can negotiate with an entity that doesn't acknowledge your existence?

3) Hamas is unable to control its many, many militants. Their ceasefire means nothing, unless it is a ceasefire of ALL the militant groups, not just the famous "Hamas Militant Wing".

Who is to negotiate with here? Terrorists who want to kill you, and have expressed that desire more than even acknoweldging that you exist?

[azurnoir]

20. Let's look at the facts ; yes lets look at them

1) Hamas is a terrorist organization who has sworn to be the cause of Israel's destruction. Read their charter.

so does Fatahs, now some words were mouthed 18 years ago between 2 men who are now dead, but has Fatah offically changed its charter, no it has not.


2) even if the first point weren't true, Hamas doesn't recognize Israel. Who can negotiate with an entity that doesn't acknowledge your existence?

Old bludgeon, and if Hamas is asking for talks how do they not "recognize Israel", and once again neither does Fatah

3) Hamas is unable to control its many, many militants. Their ceasefire means nothing, unless it is a ceasefire of ALL the militant groups, not just the famous "Hamas Militant Wing".

Same again for Fatah

So why is it Israel is only willing to "negotiate" with a Palestinian leader who was voted out of office by his own people, then after being allowed back in to partial power was again forced out just ahead of pulling an American backed coup of his own, is largely discredited with his own people, and who's supposed territory Israel largely controls(OPT)?