Why One Critic Is Trashing Jimmy Carter’s Latest Mideast Peace Proposal

Jimmy Carter has a bold piece of advice for the United States and other world leaders: Ending Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza begins with recognizing the terrorist organization as a “legitimate political actor.”

But a leading national security expert at The Heritage Foundation says the former president’s view couldn’t be further from reality.

President Carter continues to have a perfect record for decades of being consistently wrong on U.S.-Israeli relations.

“President Carter continues to have a perfect record, for decades, of being consistently wrong on U.S.-Israeli relations,” James Carafano, a 25-year Army veteran who is vice president for defense and foreign policy at the think tank, told The Daily Signal. He added:

Hamas is a terrorist organization, listed as such by the State Department since 1997. This is required by U.S. law. For Carter to suggest that the law just be ignored is inexcusable for a former president of the United States.

Carter penned the opinion piece on ForeignPolicy.com with Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland. In addition to arguing that the U.S. and the European Union should recognize the legitimacy of Hamas, Carter and Robinson describe the Israeli Defense Forces’ use of bombs, missiles and artillery as “war crimes.”

Although they note Hamas’ “indiscriminate targeting of Israeli civilians is equally unacceptable,” Carter and Robinson appear to blame the West for fueling the conflict:

Ever since the internationally monitored 2006 elections that brought Hamas to power in Palestine, the West’s approach has manifestly contributed to the opposite result.

Carter previously has spoken out in support of Hamas, and visited with the terrorist group’s leaders in 2009. In the commentary, Carter and Robinson argue that lasting peace depends upon “creation of a Palestinian state next to Israel.”

Carafano also had strong words for any concessions:

Hamas just instigated a war that began with kidnapping and murder and resulted in the deaths of innocent Palestinians and Israelis. To suggest that they be rewarded for these acts is simply amoral.