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President Carter is considered a staunch critic of settlements, who wwrote a book calling the Israeli occupation 'apartheid'.
Apparently the old president's strong opinions are only as good as the opinions held by the last person he spoke to. How easy was it for a few dedicated Israeli settlers to change his mind in a single day's visit.
Apparently the old president's strong opinions are only as good as the opinions held by the last person he spoke to. How easy was it for a few dedicated Israeli settlers to change his mind in a single day's visit.
JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel will not have to withdraw from the Gush Etzion bloc of settlements, Jimmy Carter said.
"This particular settlement is not one that I envision ever being abandoned or changed over into a Palestinian territory," the former U.S. president said Sunday after meeting with settler leader Shaul Goldstein, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council in the West Bank settlement of Neve Daniel. "This is part of the close settlements to the 1967 line that I think will be here forever."
Carter said he was there to "listen to the settlers," and that he "hoped to make sure they understand my own attitude toward Israel and the Jewish population in the world and toward the Jewish settlers," according to Ha'aretz.
"This particular settlement is not one that I envision ever being abandoned or changed over into a Palestinian territory," the former U.S. president said Sunday after meeting with settler leader Shaul Goldstein, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council in the West Bank settlement of Neve Daniel. "This is part of the close settlements to the 1967 line that I think will be here forever."
Carter said he was there to "listen to the settlers," and that he "hoped to make sure they understand my own attitude toward Israel and the Jewish population in the world and toward the Jewish settlers," according to Ha'aretz.
NEVE DANIEL, West Bank (AFP) — Former US president Jimmy Carter on Sunday made a rare visit to a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank which he said "will be here for ever," despite Palestinian claims to the territory.
Carter, a staunch opponent of the settlements, travelled to Neve Daniel in Gush Etzion, a large settlement bloc south of Jerusalem which Israel hopes to keep in any future Middle East peace deal.
He said he came "to make sure they (the settlers) understand my own attitude towards Israel, the Jewish population across the world and the Jewish settlements."
Speaking at the end of a meeting with Shaul Goldstein, the head of the Gush Etzion regional council, Carter said that the settlement bloc would remain under Israeli control.
"This particular settlement area is not one that I can envision ever being abandoned or changed over into Palestinian territory. This is part of settlements close to the 1967 (border) line that I think will be here for ever," he said in the garden of Goldstein's house.
Carter also met local families who have lost relatives in Palestinian attacks.
"I recognise the suffering that takes place in an area where strife, misunderstanding and animosity still exist," he said.
Carter, a staunch opponent of the settlements, travelled to Neve Daniel in Gush Etzion, a large settlement bloc south of Jerusalem which Israel hopes to keep in any future Middle East peace deal.
He said he came "to make sure they (the settlers) understand my own attitude towards Israel, the Jewish population across the world and the Jewish settlements."
Speaking at the end of a meeting with Shaul Goldstein, the head of the Gush Etzion regional council, Carter said that the settlement bloc would remain under Israeli control.
"This particular settlement area is not one that I can envision ever being abandoned or changed over into Palestinian territory. This is part of settlements close to the 1967 (border) line that I think will be here for ever," he said in the garden of Goldstein's house.
Carter also met local families who have lost relatives in Palestinian attacks.
"I recognise the suffering that takes place in an area where strife, misunderstanding and animosity still exist," he said.
They are also in league with the space pirate zombie cyborg lizard king.
@ building railroads and irrigation.
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