Carter Center Statement on Palestinian Reconciliation

Contact: Deanna Congileo, 1-404-420-5108

The Carter Center congratulates the Government of Egypt for their success in brokering the historic intra-Palestinian reconciliation agreement announced on April 27. The Carter Center further commends the representatives of Fatah and Hamas for having the vision to begin the process of reunifying the Palestinian people. Mediated by the Government of Egypt, the agreement provides a framework for resolving long-standing issues regarding reform of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Palestinian governance, elections, human rights abuses, and the security sector.  Now, the challenge will be implementing the agreement on the ground.  

President Carter said, "This agreement, and the promise of elections in the next twelve months, has the potential to arrest the spiral of intra-Palestinian human rights violations and preserve Palestinian democracy.  It can also lead to a leadership representing all Palestinians capable of negotiating peace with Israel.  Based on my years of contacts with Fatah and Hamas, I am confident that, if handled creatively and flexibly by the international community, Hamas' return to unified Palestinian governance can increase the likelihood of a two-state solution and a peaceful outcome.  I encourage the international community to respect this decision by the Palestinian leadership and to view it as part of the larger democratic trend sweeping the region." 

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The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, the Center has helped improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers to increase crop production. For more than 20 years, The Center has worked to improve health and prevent and resolve conflict in Sudan. Please visit www.cartercenter.org to learn more.