Jim Foolery

After nine days of what Jimmy Carter says "aren't" negotiations, the former President has declared that Hamas is willing to accept Israel as its "neighbor" if Israel would simply return to it's 1967 borders. (See Full Story).

Peace! Peace?

After nine days, Jimmy Carter has, once again, blessed us with the fruits of what he thinks are his adroit negotiation skills. Forget about the fact that there was no joint communique with Hamas to support his announcement. Also, forget about the fact that there were no "good faith" proposals from Hamas like stopping the minute-by-minute rocket attacks from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip into Israel (killing women and children); or, like the return of the Hamas-held Israeli soldier. No, there was none of that. Instead, there was just Jimmy, standing all alone, and giving his "Good neighbor, Hamas" speech.

Maybe somebody should tell Jimmy Carter that dealing with Hamas is a lot like dealing with a robber who has you at gunpoint and says: "Give me all your money... or... I'll shoot you!" Then, you give him all your money and he still shoots you! Poor Jimmy doesn't understand that this is the mindset of these people. These are the same people who, after gaining control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, saw it as a perfect opportunity to intensify their rocket attacks into Israel. Never mind the fact that Israel originally returned the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians in 2005 as a "good faith" effort and as a first-step to any possible negotiations for peace. That's what being a "good neighbor" means to Hamas!

Carter is a joke. His history of being a negotiator is as failed as was his Presidency. He should stick to building houses for "Habitat for Humanity" and leave the negotiations to the people who are a lot less gullible. His failed negotiation skills go all the way back to the tortured talks during the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979-1980. Those went on for 444 days and continued until we completely gave into those Iranian thugs.

Now, let's fast forward to 1994. That's when Carter took his negotiation prowess to North Korea. He was sent there by President Bill Clinton to stop North Korea from developing nukes and building long range missiles. In that agreement, Carter managed to give North Korea all kinds of stuff. In return, the North Koreans went on their merry way and continued to develop newer and longer range intercontinental missiles and kept on advancing their nukes program. Jimmy apparently never thought that it was important to have on-site verification to make sure that the North Koreans weren't reneging on their promises. I guess he thought that they were honorable people. You know...a terrorist of their word!

So, now, he wants us and Israel to trust Hamas. Jimmy must want us think that Hamas, like North Korea, are honorable people, too!

Please Note: I commend Jimmy Carter for not admitting that these were "negotiations" with Hamas. Given his past record, I wouldn't admit to that either.