By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, called former President Jimmy Carter "a bigot" on Thursday, for meeting with the leader of Hamas in Syria.
Carter "went to the region with soiled hands and came back with bloody hands after shaking the hand of Khaled Mashaal, the leader of Hamas," Ambassador Dan Gillerman told reporters at a luncheon briefing.
The diplomat was questioned about problems facing Israel during a wide-ranging discussion lasting more than an hour. The briefing was sponsored by The Israel Project, a Washington-based, media-oriented advocacy group.
The ambassador's harsh words for Carter came days after the former president met with Mashaal for seven hours in Damascus to negotiate a cease-fire with Gaza's Hamas rulers. Carter then called Mashaal on Monday to try to get him to agree to a one-month truce without conditions, but the Hamas leader rejected the idea.