Senior Hamas terrorists in Syria reported Monday that they had met with former United States President Jimmy Carter on Sunday. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal attended the meeting.
Mashaal and Carter discussed Hamas' status, Gaza and issues pertaining to Palestinian Authority Arabs in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Hamas spokesmen said. They described the meeting as part of the group's ongoing efforts to establish ties with the international community.
While Carter has met with Hamas in the past, and earlier this year said he had been meeting with Hamas leaders “for years,” U.S. officials say his actions do not reflect U.S. policy. The United States sees Hamas as a terrorist organization, they say.
Carter met with Hamas leaders shortly after being turned down for a meeting by Hizbullah officials. Carter said he was willing to meet Hizbullah, but the group's leaders said they were not prepared to meet him.
Carter has explained his rationale for meeting terrorists dedicated to the destruction of Israel by saying, “You can't always get prerequisites adopted by other people before you even talk to them.” He says he will attempt to convince Hamas to stop its attacks on innocent civilians and agree to a ceasefire.
Sunday's visit took place during a trip to Lebanon and Syria during which Carter met with various officials to see if his Carter Center will supervise elections in Lebanon.
Carter has been considered anti-Israel for years, and allegedly interceded on behalf of a former Nazi SS guard in 1987. More recently, he accused Israel of starving Gaza Arabs to death, said Israel must give up the entire Golan to have peace and co-sponsored the voyage of a ship that tested Israeli sovereignty off the Gaza coast.