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Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is getting a cold reception in Israel. Mr. Carter is perceived as having a strong anti-Israel bias¹.

美国前总统卡特在以色列遭到冷遇。以色列总理奥尔默特和以色列政府的外交部长都故意冷落卡特，拒绝与他见面。

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his foreign minister have snubbed Mr. Carter and are refusing to meet with him. They are angry that the former president compares Israeli policies to apartheid and that he plans to meet this week with Khaled Mashaal, a leader of the Islamic militant² group Hamas, in Damascus. Hamas refuses to renounce³ violence or recognize Israel.

卡特把以色列的政策与南非种族隔离相提并论，此外卡特本星期还准备在大马士革会见伊斯兰激进组织哈马斯的领导人马沙尔都令他们感到强烈不满。哈马斯拒绝放弃暴力，也不愿意承认以色列。

The spokesman for the Israel branch of the Anti-Defamation League, Arieh O'Sullivan, says Mr. Carter is sending the wrong message.

“反诽谤联盟”组织以色列分支的发言人奥沙利文说，卡特发出了错误的信息。

"Former President Jimmy Carter, he is on a very destructive path right now in the Middle East," said Arieh O'Sullivan. "He is going to Syria, he is going to meet with the head of Hamas, to engage with terrorists."

他说：“美国前总统卡特目前在中东问题上的立场具有很大的破坏性。他准备前往叙利亚会见哈马斯领导人，与恐怖分子交往。”

Mr. Carter defended his plans on American television, in an interview with ABC's This Week.

而卡特在接受美国广播公司“本周”电视节目采访时为自己作辩护说：

"I think there is no doubt in anyone's mind that if Israel is ever going to find peace with justice concerning the relationship with their next door neighbors, the Palestinians, that Hamas will have to be included in the process," said Jimmy Carter.

“我认为任何人都毫不怀疑，如果以色列想要和平正义，与他们的邻居巴勒斯坦人和平相处的话，那么哈马斯必将被包括在和平进程当中。”

He said he would try to convince Hamas to halt attacks against Israeli civilians⁴, but in an unofficial capacity.

他说，他会立以非官方的身份，努力说服哈马斯停止袭击以色列平民。

"I am not going as a mediator⁵ or negotiator," he said. "This is a mission we take as part of the overall Carter Center project to promote peace in the region."

卡特说：“我不会作为调停者或者谈判人员前往那里。此行不过是卡特中心促进中东和平的整体项目的一部分。”

Despite the snub by Israeli leaders, Mr. Carter did meet with Israel's ceremonial President Shimon Peres. On Monday, the former president will visit the southern Israeli town of Sderot that has been battered⁶ by Palestinian rockets fired from nearby Gaza and on Tuesday, he travels to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

卡特尽管受到以色列领导人的冷落，但是他还是会晤了总统佩雷斯。而总统在以色列仅是礼仪性的领导人。星期一，卡特前总统将访问以色列南部城镇斯德洛特，这一城镇曾遭受巴勒斯坦人从附近加沙地带发射的火箭的袭击。星期二，他要前往约旦河西岸与巴勒斯坦权力机构主席阿巴斯会晤。