Carter Defends Plan To Meet With Hamas

AIRPORT CITY, Israel — President Carter defended his plan to meet with the top leader of the violently anti-Israel Hamas movement, saying yesterday he hopes to become a conduit between the Islamic militant group and Washington and Israel. Isolating Hamas is counterproductive, Mr. Carter said. Hamas rules the Gaza Strip but is ostracized by Israel, America, and the European Union as a terrorist group.

"I think it is absolutely crucial that in the final and dreamed-about and prayed-for peace agreement for this region that Hamas be involved and Syria will be involved," he told a business conference outside Tel Aviv.