Azerbaijan, Baku, 18 April / corr. Trend R. Hafizoglu, E. Tariverdiyeva/ Even if the talks between U.S. former president Jimmy Carter and Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas will not have a positive impact on the peace talks between Israel and Palestine, it can cause a change in Hamas's image as a terrorist organization. "Jimmy Carter's meeting with Hamas officials shows that the U.S. policy concerning Palestine and Movement is ambiguous," Mushir al-Masri, Hamas spokesperson said to Trend .
As Israel hindered U.S. former president from entering to Gaza, he met with leaders of Political Bureau of Hamas on 17 April in Egypt during his tour to the Near East. The results of the meeting is not available, however, they are likely to have discussed peace talks between Palestine and Israel.
"Smart and experienced politicians understands that dialogue with Hamas can yield real results," Hamas spokesman al-Masri said to Trend on a telephone from Gaza. He believes that the fact that Israel did not permit Carter to enter Gaza shows that this country is not sincere in peace talks.
"The meeting between Carter and Movement officials in contrast to the official opinion of Israel will show to the international community that Hamas is not a terrorist organization and it is striving for peace," al-Masri said.
The Movement's role in peace talks between Palestine and Israel is beyond controversy, he said.
Fahmi Zearir, the official spokesperson for Palestine's ruling Fatah movement believes that the meeting between Carter and Hamas official representatives will not affect peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
"The key reason of the fact that Israel did not permit Carter to enter Gaza is that Carter does not accept Hamas as an official side," said Zearir in his interview with Trend on a telephone from Ramallah.
According to Fatah spokesman, the Hamas's participation in peace talks between Palestine and Israel can undermine all results achieved up to now.
The official representative of Israeli Foreign Ministry Eddy Shapira believes that Jimmy Carter has pro-Palestine position. "We appreciate Carter's restoring its historical mission. He suggests Israel to begin talks with Hamas who do not want to admit Israel's right to existence. How can we hold talks with terrorists?" said Shapira.
"Radical and extremist Hamas is fighting against civilized world under the patronage of Tehran. Jimmy Carter does no understand it while embracing the leaders of terrorist organization such as Mahmud Az-Zahar and Khaled Mashal," he said.
According to Shapira, Carter's will to meet with terrorist leaders caused boycott against him by Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister, Tzipi Livni, Foreign Minister, and Benjamin Netanyahu, former Prime Minister and current leader of the opposition Likud party.
The expert of the United States-based Illinois University considers that Carter's visit shows incontrovertibility of Hamas's role in the peace negotiations. " Hamas's win in the elections in 2006 confirmed that the organization was part of the Palestinian population," Frensis Boyl stated Trend by email.
The political scientist considers that Hamas resumed pragmatic approach to settle the dispute with Israel. However, in spite of this the United States and European countries do not take it as partner. "If we consider the processes that have been taking in the region for several years, we will see that Israel was never interested in the negotiations with Palestinians," he noted. According to Boyla, the United States and Europe have no grounds to reject Hamas as a partner.
Stephan Zuns, expert of the Sa Francisco University on Middle East, considers that Hamas, despite of its extremist and terrorist ideology, is a political force, which should be included into the negotiations between Palestine and Israel. "The peace negotiations which have been held by Carter will be fruitful if the both sides will have interest in the process," Zuns stated Trend by email from San Francisco.
The political scientist believes that Carter's visit will not exercise positive influence on the peace negotiations, as Israeli and American Governments refuse from backing any diplomatic relations with Hamas.
"Although Israel has right for peace and security, the occupations by Israel should be stopped," he noted.
According to Zuns, suspension of construction of settlements for Jewish contradicts the official position of Israeli and American Governments.
Bush Administration, criticizes the negotiations of Carter with Hamas, and stated that it opposes the negotiations.
Carter was awarded with Nobel Prize in 2002 for his achievements in peace between Israel and Egypt during his presidency from 1971 to 1983.
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