Shaul Goldstein, who heads the Gush Etzion Regional Council, on Sunday afternoon met with former US President Jimmy Carter in his N’vei Daniel home. The news of the meeting was met by some objection from area residents and activists, who explained Carter has not been an honest broker as he has proven over years, and they do not feel a meeting with him would produce positive results.

Goldstein on the other hand is of the opinion that despite the fact he meets with many state and elected officials in his capacity as head of the regional council, they do not agree to come out to the Gush and he is compelled to meet them in Jerusalem or elsewhere. Carter however was willing to visit his home in Yishuv N’vei Daniel, and Goldstein feels this precedent alone was worth the meeting.

In addition, Carter saw things that he has not seen in the past, the community, the homes, adding the former president stated he hopes to see other leaders visiting the settlers in their homes and communities. Goldstein appeared pleased with the meeting from the viewpoint that Mr. Carter received a new perspective on an old issue.

Carter stated that in his view of Israeli compromise towards peace with the PA he never expected Gush Etzion to be evacuated, an area close to the 1967 boundaries and one that is part of the national consensus.

Following meetings with senior PA (Palestinian Authority) officials during recent days, Carter warned that it appears Israel and the new White House administration are on a collision course, calling on Israel to accept demands from President Barak Obama to halt any and all settlement construction and announce Israel’s acceptance of the two-state solution as is being demanded by the US administration.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)