Jimmy Carter: Israel must recognize Hamas as a 'legitimate political actor'

Jimmy Carter: Israel must recognize Hamas as a 'legitimate political actor'
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Former President Jimmy Carter says Israel engaged in the "deliberate obstruction" of regional peace that led inexorably to its war in Gaza, and that the only way to end the conflict is for Israel to recognize Hamas as a political — not just military — player.

"Hamas cannot be wished away, nor will it cooperate in its own demise," Carter writes, along with Mary Robinson, in a Foreign Policy op-ed Tuesday. "Only by recognizing its legitimacy as a political actor — one that represents a substantial portion of the Palestinian people — can the West begin to provide the right incentives for Hamas to lay down its weapons."

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.