Former President Jimmy Carter
JERUSALEM?? Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday that the prospect of an Israel-Palestinian peace accord is "vanishing," blaming Israeli settlement of the West Bank.
Carter, a longtime critic of Israeli policies, called the current situation "catastrophic" and blamed Israel for the growing isolation of east Jerusalem from the West Bank. He said a Palestinian state has become "unviable."
"We've reached a crisis stage," said Carter, 88. "The two-state solution is the only realistic path to peace and security for Israel and the Palestinians."
Carter, who as president brokered a historic peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, is on a two-day visit leading a delegation known as the "The Elders," which includes the former prime minister of Norway and the former president of Ireland. The group met with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
But they didn't meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Carter said the delegation didn't request a meeting because they haven't been granted meetings on previous visits.
Netanyahu has pledged support for a Palestinian state, but peace talks with the Palestinians have been frozen for most of his tenure. Carter criticized him for not doing enough.
The Palestinians say they will return to the negotiating table only if Israel freezes settlement construction on occupied lands claimed by the Palestinians. Israel says talks should resume without preconditions.
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