[Marxism] Uri Avnery congratulates Jimmy Carter for Hamas meeting

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tel-Aviv, April 13, 2008

Dear Mr. President Jimmy Carter

I am writing to you on behalf of Gush Shalom, The Israeli Peace Bloc,
to congratulate you on your wise and courageous decision to meet in
Damascus with Hamas leaders and talk with them on the ways to promote
peace in our region. I believe this is an act whose time had come -
or rather, is already long overdue - and I would have liked the
Government of Israel to avail itself of your position, your prestige
and your tireless energy, in order to help end the suffering and
bloodshed among both peoples.

As an increasing number of people are coming to realize, the policy
of boycotting Hamas, starting on the day that the movement won the
democratic elections held among the Palestinians, has failed utterly
and caused terrible suffering and bloodshed among both peoples. The
Government of Israel, with the support of the present US Government,
has undertaken large and small military operations; constantly sought
to foment civil war among Palestinians; and imposed an inhuman
economic boycott of the Gaza Strip, which exactly today reaches a
cruel new peak with the denial of fuel to a million and half people.

Not only did all these acts fail to break Hamas' power; on the
contrary, they resulted in increasing its popular support and
severely weakening Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) who is increasingly
perceived as a collaborator, unable to bring his people any real
achievement.

The time has come to turn a new page, based on recognition of
reality: Hamas is a significant force among Palestinians, and will
continue to be such, for better or worse, in the foreseeable future.
It is impossible to reach an Israeli-Palestinian Agreement - and
actually implement it - without Hamas being a party to that
agreement.

Your visit to our region, Mr. President, has the potential of
imparting an enormous momentum to removing the obstacles presently
hindering serious negotiations aimed at ending the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Israeli occupation of
Palestinian lands conquered in 1967. To the mind of myself the my
fellow activists, what is most urgently needed at present includes:

* A full ceasefire, between all Israelis and all Palestinians, which
will proved a safe daily life to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip as
to those of the Israeli communities near to it;

* Removal of the shameful economic siege, which is a terrible
collective punishment for Gaza inhabitants of Gaza;

* Achieving at last an exchange of prisoners which would restore to
their homes and families the captured Israeli soldier Gilâead Shalit
as well as a significant number of Palestinian prisoners

* Encouraging the creation of a Palestinian National Unity
Government, representing all significant factions and able to
negotiate on behalf of the entire Palestinian people - instead of the
complete veto which the governments of Israel and the US at present
impose over the creation of such a government among Palestinians.

It would have been best for all of us, Mr. President,were you able to
go to Damascus with a full mandate from the Government of Israel and
from you successor in the White House, to promote to the best of your
ability the solution to the conflict in our region and the end to
both peoples' suffering. But even in the absence of an official
government mandate, know that you are going to Damascus with the warm
regards and full support of the peace seekers in Israel.

Sincerely yours

Uri Avnery
Former Member of the Knesset

On behalf of Gush Shalom
(The Israeli Peace Bloc)

+972-505-306440

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Adam Keller adam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx






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=========================================
     WALTER LIPPMANN
     Los Angeles, California
     Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
     "Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================

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