LONDON, Dec. 4 -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter tells United Press International he is not optimistic about the Middle East peace process. In an interview late Wednesday, Carter said the election of Binyamin Netanyahu as prime minister of Israel 'has effectively terminated the Camp David Accord and Oslo Agreements.'
It was Carter who was the architect of the Camp David Accord, the 1978 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. He told UPI: 'I was optimistic for peace in the Middle East after Camp David. I was optimistic after the Oslo Agreement. I was optimistic under the leadership of Prime Minister (Yitzhak) Rabin. I am not optimistic now. I am not optimistic that the present Israeli prime minister (Binyamin Netanyahu) is committed to agreements made (on relations with the Palestinians), even though these have been effectively written into Israeli law.' Carter added, 'Maybe we will have another generation of leaders like (Anwar) Sadat and (Menachem) Begin, who will bring peace.' Carter is in Britain to attend a four-day conference 'Persistent Poverty in Developing Countries: Determining the Causes and Closing the Gaps.' The gathering was organized by the prestigious U.S.-based Aspen Institute. The meetings, attended by 28 leading figures from all over the world, are sponsored by Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar bin Sultan. ---
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