Question for Jimmy Carter: If I didn't hear it, it didn't happen

Question: You have been quoted as denying that Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel. Yet the Prime Minister of the PA- a Hamas leader, has repeatedly said that his organization does not and will never recognized Israel. [And did so again this past week when Secretary of State Rice was in Jerusalem.] When confronted by these statements, you said that you had not heard him make them. If you do not personally hear something, does that mean it does not exist?

KHOW-AM, The Caplis & Silverman Show (Denver), Dec. 12, 2006:
Carter flatly denied that Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, swore never to recognize Israel.

Silverman: "Didn't the head of Hamas, the elected leader of the Palestinians, go to Tehran last week and say ‘We will never recognize the usurper Zionist government ...’"
Carter: "No, he didn't."
Silverman: " ... ‘and we will continue our jihad-like movement ...’
Carter: "No, he didn’t do that."
Silverman: " ‘until the liberation of Jerusalem’?"
Carter: "No, he didn't do that. I saw no report about that."

Source: http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=118&x_article=1273


FACT: Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, was quoted by the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, the Guardian (London), and others saying just that.