April 22, 2008 7:54
The Last Idealist
Jimmy Carter and Bashar al Assad in Damascus on Friday. / Photo by Andrew Lee Butters
Wouldn’t it be great if just as the storm clouds gather in a darkening Middle East, the person who has done more to achieve peace in the region than any one else alive could come back from semi-retirement and somehow pull off the impossible?
For a moment after former President Jimmy Carter’s controversial trip to Damascus, it looked like the man who brokered the Camp David Accords had a little of the old magic left. After meetings last week with Syrian President Bashar al Assad and Hamas leader Khaled Meschaal, Carter yesterday announced peace overtures on their behalf. Syria, which has been one of the most anti-Israeli countries in the Arab world, said it wants a peace treaty with Israel and wants it fast. Also according to Carter, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic militant group, would be willing to accept a Palestinian state within the West Bank and Gaza, a de facto recognition of Israel as it existed before 1967. Just how serious a peace proposal is this? Serious enough that it was quickly denounced by Osama bin Laden’s deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri. Surely if al Qaeda is grumpy, peace is back on track, no?
But Carter's efforts have gone unappreciated in Jerusalem and Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice took time out of a trip to the Persian Gulf to tell reporters that President Carter was in no way a party to peace negotiations, that his meeting with Hamas was unhelpful, and that the real American peace negotiators were not going to talk Hamas. A spokesman for the Israeli defense department said that the proposals were more of the same hot air from Hamas.
How did the Carter initiative tank so quickly? The problem is not so much the proposals from Syria and Hamas, but the deep layers of cynicism that now surround the Arab-Israeli conflict, which will enter its 60th year next month. President Assad has been offering to restart peace talks with Israel for over a year now, but many Israeli leaders don’t think he’s serious. Critics of Syria say that the Assad regime is unlikely to stop playing the role of regional troublemaker –supporting Hamas and Hizballah militants and trying to topple the Lebanese government, for example -- even if Israel returned the Syrian land it has occupied since 1967. Critics of Israeli policy say that Israel has gotten too comfortable in Syrian territory, and is unwilling or unable to withdraw from the strategic Golan Heights, especially not after its botched invasion of nearby Lebanon in 2006, and the botched withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2004.
The Hamas proposal appears to be a more significant development. Though the group officially calls for the destruction of Israel, Hamas has now given Carter written assurances that it would accept the outcome of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks if the outcome is ratified by a popular Palestinian referendum. The only Palestinian group that actually has the strength to create a lasting peace (or de-rail it) has essentially said that it would be willing to accept the existence of Israel.
But the Israeli and American governments have consistently refused to meet Hamas until it explicitly denounces terrorism and explicitly recognizes Israel. In their view, to give Hamas a place at the table would essentially reward those who have chosen violence, opening up Israel to other predators in the region who think that they too can scare the Jewish state into concessions. Besides, Israeli leaders say that they have seen Hamas cease fires come and go, and suspect that the group is merely playing games to end the Israeli siege of Gaza, which has been the group's stronghold since it won elections there in 2005.
But Hamas is unlikely to go all the way and explicitly accept Israel on its own. The group’s refusal to recognize Israel is its greatest weapon. The inaccurate rockets it fires into Israel are a deadly nuisance, but they don’t threaten the country’s existence. On the other hand, the fact that Hamas, the democratically elected representatives of the Palestinian people, don’t accept the Jewish state denies Israel the self-confidence that comes with being a normal country. Hamas won't give that up for nothing, and what it wants is international recognition. It's a closed circle.
Such is the absurd tragedy of the Middle East. Giving recognition to one's foes is the ultimate concession and sign of weakness, and yet is also the only solution. It will take more than one well-intentioned old man from Georgia to resolve that Catch-22.
--Andrew Lee Butters/Beirut
About The Middle East Blog
Tim McGirk, TIME's Jerusalem Bureau Chief, arrived in the Middle East after covering Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Read more
Scott MacLeod, TIME's Cairo Bureau Chief since 1998, has covered the Middle East and Africa for the magazine for 22 years. Read more
Andrew Lee Butters moved to Beirut in 2003, and began working for TIME in Iraq during the Fallujah uprising of 2004. Read more
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Reader Comments (13)
Andrew, Andrew, Andrew,
I was following your arguments and statements - taking each on it's merit and then you had to go close your blog entry with "It will take more than one well-intentioned old man from Georgia to resolve that Catch-22."
'well-intentioned old man'! Former U.S. President, architect of only lasting peace treaty between Israel and an Arab neighbor, founder of Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center, active in multiple initiatives based on human rights and international law. And now, that 'old man' is willing to stand up to not only the Bush administration and Israel, but Israel-Firsters here in the U.S. to bravely expose their failed policy of under-mining and then isolating Hamas; a key to long-lasting peace and security for Israel.
You're right in that Pres. Carter is an 'old man', but for a guy in his 80's, he's got bigger balls than anyone else out there right now. Viagra? Don't think he needs it.
Posted by Edie | April 23, 2008 4:53 AM
" Former U.S. President, architect of only lasting peace treaty between Israel and an Arab neighbor," All the bable sounds nice- but is not accurate. What happened to the peace treaty Clinton brokered with Jordan and Israel? Because there is a quiet peace - no one talks about it. Carter did nothing yet. Everyone before hime did exactly the same thing. Get Israel to - as Syria puts it " Give all the land captured for all the peace" Go to 1967 borders and everything will be allright. - The borders that started the 1967 war. Let Carter go back to Georgia and give all Georgia back to the Indians first. Israel is a Spartan state now. It is not the Israel before 1967. It is a country that stood up to the worst atrocities and survived with her humanity and molded into steel. The arabs know that when and if the real war will come- that their enemy Israel- has more experience at war than they do. That's why they need an "old man" to get land back for the - tomorrow if possible will be OK.
Posted by jason | April 23, 2008 5:17 AM
Carter is an idealist, and cynicism is the only thing keeping him from achieving real change in the middle east? Lunacy. Complete lunacy. Carter is despicable. He cavorts with evil, sadistic men in order to keep his name in the news. He's a disgrace to his country. If I were president he would have his passport revoked upon his return to America. And if he continues this nonsense I would have him arrested. He's a truly dangerous, doddering old fool.
Posted by Call | April 23, 2008 5:44 AM
Pres. Carter is a good and honorable man. He is also an American patriot, Annapolis grad, naval officer, and submariner. He is trying to make peace where others only want continued dominance and oppression.
Pres. Carter can see the future. Israel is similiar to the former crusader state, the Kingdom of Jerusalem. A wealthy state with a strong military but almost totally dependant on a third party ... and surrounded by many more millions of enemies.
The 3rd party for the Kingdom of Jerusalem were the Christian kings and princes of Europe. Israel relies upon the USA.
While Israel bathes in the American largesse of over $3 billion per year, Israel foments wars between America and Iran and continues to spy on her benefactor. Carter is trying to save Israel from herself, before she expires, as did the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
America is changing. America may not be willing to fork over billions each year to a nation that causes more trouble than she is worth. When the 2 senators from California are not named Boxer and Feinstein and are named Lopez and Avila, the money may get cut off. Carter is trying to make peace before that happens.
Posted by max bootlicker | April 23, 2008 9:11 AM
Israel's longevity depends on peace with its neighbors. How soon until America's umbrella of protection is ruined by the winds of political change so that it is unable to cover Israel from the rain of rockets? Israel is highly dependent on the US for protection. While it pretends to have withstood an attack by the "entire Arab world" in 1967, little is said about how the Israelis at the time had superior weapons, training, and third party support. The mighty army is not so mighty -- as was evidenced when Hezbollah caused it to fail its mission of invading Lebanon in 2006.
For sure, a country so small and out of place in the world should learn some humility and stop being so greedy and selfish. Even Jason admits that the Israelis have followed in the wrongful steps of American colonists who took land from Native Americans. But indeed, Israelis did not take land from Native Americans, but from a group of people, the Arabs, who will go extinct before they let Israel exist.
All this is a good reason why Israel shouldn't be biting the tail of the sleeping dragon that is Iran... more enemies? That's just what Israel needs.
Posted by nk+ | April 23, 2008 10:30 AM
As a US Citizen, I ask via this US Citizen Petition to the US Congressional members demanding that a Congressional Hearing be convened immediately to discuss the possible Breach of Allegiance - treason by citizen James Carter, former President of the United States.
Meeting twice this past week with Hamas officials and behind closed doors without media presence and without US government approval, citizen James Carter met with known organization members identified by our distingushed and committed government officials entrusted by we the voter to do whatever is possible to safeguard our nation and to assure us that no one will engage in any dialogue with known terrorists or state sponsored terrorists friendly to Iranian government leadership.
Therefore, as a US Citizen, I ask that the intentional and willing actiosn of citizen James Carter and former President of the United States knowing our country's secrets and meeting behind closed doors without (our) knowing what was said, hereby gives my demand of the US Congress the merit to ask for your signature and support by emailing me at chris.tingus@gmail.com demanding that this possible Breach in Allegiance - treason to the United States of America be seriously considered and citizen Carter is censured and arrested for treason at a time when we are at war with those who seek our demise.
I am planning to be in Philadelphia shortly to meet with media to launch my US Citizen Petition demanding this Congressional Hearing.
Pls do support this US Citizen Petition. This gentleman has no right using his past Presidential status to negotiate with our enemy and that of the State of Israel who we have a mutually signed Peace Treaty. From my perspective, this US citizen is in Breach of Allegiance to you and I as Americans and to all those throughout the world who look to us to assure the best effort to safeguard security and present government to government Agreements.
chris.tingus@gmail.com
Posted by Treason | April 23, 2008 3:57 PM
OLD MAN OR NOT, JIMMY CARTER WAS A MEDIOCRE PRESIDENT THAT IS NOW TRYING DESPERATELY TO SAVE HIS REPUTATION AND HERITAGE BY PLAYING THE ANTI-ISRAEL CARD. HE IS NOT THE FIRST, NOR THE LAST.
AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE? OF COURSE. BUT SO WHAT? HE IS NOT THE ONLY ELEMENT, POLITICAL OR FINANCIAL, THAT REPRESENTS A TERRIBLE HUMILIATION TO A NATION THAT ALWAYS MEANT WELL - REGARDLESS.
TO ALL OF US, MY SINCERE CONDOLENCES. TO ALL OUR ENEMIES, MY UNMOVABLE CONVICTION THAT WE WILL PREVAIL. ALWAYS.
Posted by Jaysonrex | April 23, 2008 6:02 PM
I think he is a brave patriot, doing what is right -- communicating without making promises -- to prevent further calamity in the face of an administration who has taken the greatest nation in the world and put in on a list of what some consider the worst.
Posted by nk+ | April 23, 2008 10:42 PM
Far from being an idealist Carter's just playing sleazy politics against the Jews.
Not his first attempt though. Snuggling up to HAMAS is one thing. Attempting to parse the organizations words of 'we still don't accept Israel, and we still plan on obliterating it in time', does not translate into peace no matter how you twist it. Sorry Andrew, but we've seen the proposals offered by HAMAS and Syria, and you know what, neither holds much water, and it doesn't require cynicism to sink them, just the realisitic understanding that there is little credibility to HAMAS when it says it wants peace.
While he's at it, perhaps Jimmy could swing by Pakistan for a visit with Osama and see what concessions the US should make to pacify al-Queda. I'm sure that would go over well with everyone here.
Posted by Jacob Blues | April 24, 2008 12:38 AM
While the Carter bashing is going on here are 2 more people to put on your list...
In a 2002 speech in the United States, [South African Bishop Desmond] Tutu said he saw 'the humiliation of the Palestinians at checkpoints and roadblocks, suffering like us when young white police officers prevented us from moving about.' Back in 1999, former South African statesman Nelson Mandela told the Palestinian Assembly: 'The histories of our two peoples correspond in such painful and poignant ways that I intensely feel myself at home amongst my compatriots.'
Seriously,according to results published at World Opinion.org, Americans support a Palestinian state that recognizes Israel. Jimmy Carter is probably more in touch with U.S. opinion than many people realize. And depending on who wins the election expect to see more of him in the Mid-East and elsewhere, not less.
http://www.americans-world.org/digest/regional_issues/IsraelPalestinians/palstate.cfm
Posted by brent | April 24, 2008 1:20 AM
No one is against a Palestinian state - not even Israel. Arafat was the only one against a Palestinian state. He knew that once a state was created he would lose his power to Hamas or others. So he did everything to avoid having a state. Unfortunately , Israel kept giving him more and more till he looked silly not accepting the deal with Clinton. The Islamists do not want a Palestinian state because it would mean they would not have a proxy for terrorist supporters donations to their pockets and they could not continue with a excuse for global Jihad. I believe Carter means well, and he was an American president afterall. Yet , as a private citizen, what example is he setting for other Americans to go against their goverment. If Carter actually moved to Syria, Iran , or the Palestinian territories - he would be arrested and worse as a traitor and stinker. So how is he promoting peace? Tell me again?
Posted by jason | April 24, 2008 1:38 AM
Jason,
I come in peace.:)
I respect your opinion, you may be right after all, but I don't agree with it.I can't in my wildest dreams imagine Carter being arrested.The world outcry would be the absolute end of any credibility the Bush administration still has, and they know it.And as far as being a dissenting private citizen, remember Frederic Douglas, Martin Luther King Jr.,Susan B. Anthony, all opposed the status quo. America has a long history of successful opposition to the gov't on important issues.If you mean opposition in foreign affairs, none comes to mind immediately, but I'm sure I could Google something up. Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon papers, for starters.
It will be interesting how this develops.
Posted by brent | April 24, 2008 3:21 AM
US presidents, former or current deserve a respect as much as other heads of states, when you become a president or King you can be a judge and jury, until that time you are just a uninformed average Joe!
Posted by Joe | April 24, 2008 8:58 AM