The result? Hamas and Fatah turned Gaza into an armed camp.
Israel has not had a partner in peace. Fatah instigated a war with Israel - the latest intifada after not even bothering to provide Israel with a counter proposal at Camp David in 2000. Israel determined it was not in its strategic and survival interests to negotiate with terrorists who would not even negotiate in good faith and whose strategic doctrine was founded on the principle of destroying Israel and a refusal to recognize a 2-state solution.
Former President Carter goes on Jay Leno to hawk his book and shows that he still doesn't get it:
Leno said to the president who held office more than 25 years ago, "But when Israel gives something back, it doesn't seem like they get anything for it. It seems like it just moves some angry people closer to them."Does Carter remember what a 2-state solution is or what it requires? It means Palestinians and Israelis each having their own state. Listen to what Hamas and Fatah have to say - in Arabic. Listen to what Hamas says in English. They're not shy about what they want. They want Israel's destruction and do not recognize Israel's right to exist.
"No, that's not true at all," responded Carter. "Israel hasn't really tried to give 'Palestine' back to the Palestinians. They did give up some of Gaza. And then they moved out, and the Palestinians captured one soldier and tried to swap [him] for 300 children – some as young as 12 years old – and 94 women, but the Israelis wouldn't swap. So then Israel reinvaded Gaza. But if Israel ever wants peace – and they do want peace – a majority of Israelis have always said, 'Let's get rid of the land, and let's have peace.' That's what we need to have."
That is not the basis for a negotiation about the establishment of a 2-state solution. Hamas, the elected representatives of the Palestinians, do not recognize Israel's right to exist. Hamas wont even recognize Israel for purposes of negotiating, let alone Israel's right to exist. It's a fundamental and integral part of the Palestinian psyche and political outlook. Carter's wishful thinking and projection doesn't change that inalienable fact.
Palestinians have fired thousands of rockets into Israel. They invaded Israel and captured Gilad Shalit (along with killing two other Israeli soldiers) in the hopes of provoking a prisoner exchange involving hundreds if not thousands of Palestinian prisoners - many with Israeli blood on their hands. Convicted murderers, Hamas and Fatah thugs arrested for provoking attacks. Terrorists. Some as young as teenagers. Some as old as their 90s.
Israel refuses to negotiate with terrorists who do not recognize Israel's right to exist. Israel sent in its military forces to rescue Shalit and to destroy the terror cells responsible for the rocket fire and the attacks on Israelis. Carter thinks that this is an irrational position and that Israel is at fault for not caving to Palestinian demands.
Sorry, but I'm not buying it.
Israelis do want peace with their neighbors. Palestinians want pieces of Israelis. A piece here. A piece there. Pretty soon, no Israel. That's what Carter advocates - and it's a position little different than his caving into Islamists during his own term of office.
Israel turns Gaza over to the Palestinians, who promptly turn it into a haven for terrorist groups operating against Israel. Rocket fire against Israel becomes a daily event. Israel benefitted from withdrawing its troops from Gaza, but now suffers from a lack of presence inside Gaza to disrupt those terror cells before they fire. It's an untenable situation either way, but would improve immediately if the Palestinians do two simple things - 1) release Gilad Shalit without any demands or prisoner exchanges; 2) recognize Israel's right to exist and that means a cessation of all rocket attacks and other terror attacks against Israelis.
The Palestinians will not agree to either one, even if it means a restoration of economic aid cut off when Hamas refused to recognize Israel's right to exist. That should speak volumes as to Hamas and the Palestinians' intentions towards Israel. They're willing to forgo hundreds of millions in foreign aid all in their desire to attack Israel in the here and now. This is a group of people blinded by hatred.
To Carter, this is a partner in peace.
He couldn't be more hopelessly wrong.
UPDATE:
The Palestinians continue to prove Carter wrong. There's supposed to be a ceasefire in Gaza between Palestinians and Israelis, and yet the Palestinians continue to fire rockets into Israel. Meanwhile, Israel has responded by busting a huge Islamic Jihad terror cell - recovering weapons, materials, and 50 members in a six-month operation.
In a widespread operation lasting several months, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), the IDF and Israel Police, have arrested 50 terror suspects affiliated with the Islamic Jihad and believed to be directly involved in planning terror attacks, it was released for publication on Tuesday.These would likely be among those prisoners that Hamas and Hizbullah would try to swap in exchange for Shalit and/or Goldwasser and Regev.
Seven of the suspects, security officials said, expressed willingness to perpetrate suicide attacks against Israeli cities.
During the arrest raids, security forces uncovered large quantities of weapons including high-grade explosives and computer discs containing instructions how to assemble an explosive device.
The arrest wave began half a year ago following the capture of Hani Rajoub, an Islamic Jihad member from the Hebron area. During his interrogation, the Shin Bet discovered that Rajoub was actually a member of a large-scale terror network consisting of dozens of terror operatives throughout the southern Hebron Hills area.
Technorati: terrorism, nasrallah, fatah, Gilad, Shalit, Olmert, carter, Abbas, Regev, Goldwasser, PRC, Hamas, Gaza, palestinian, Israel, hizbullah, hezbullah, hezbollah, lebanon, syria.
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