Rivlin tells Carter he is seen as Hamas supporter
By JPOST.COM STAFF
LAST UPDATED: 10/21/2010 19:09
Israelis could see former US president's meeting with Hamas as negative, Knesset speaker says; Carter says purpose was to bring peace.
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post
Knesset Speaker
Reuven Rivlin on Thursday told former US president Jimmy Carter that
after his visits to Hamas senior official Khaled Mashal and Hamas
Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, Israelis see him as "supporting Hamas."
Carter responded that the purpose of his visit is to bring peace to the
region, and meet with all sides involved in the conflict. He said his
role is to listen, and not support.
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Rivlin met with Carter and others on the
Elders mission as part of an international group of veteran statesmen
that sets out to offer "collective influence and experience to support
peace building."Rivlin
said that Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem live side by side. He made the comments during a tour that the delegation did in the east Jerusalem
village of Silwan.
"There is no
way that the city can be divided, a step like this will turn Jerusalem
into another Belfast," Rivlin said.
Rivlin slammed suggestions that the Jews are allowed to
live in a large area of Palestinian sovereignty.
Ireland's former President Mary Robinson claimed that legislation in
Israel includes dozens of bills that are racist towards Arabs. Rivlin
explained that Arabs do not serve in the IDF, for understandable
reasons, and in light of this there is a preference for those that serve
in the army when it comes to certain issues.