what do you think?

(CNN) -- Former President Carter met Friday with a top Hamas politician, exiled leader Khalid Meshaal, in Damascus, Syria, Carter aides said. Former President Carter says he hopes to see a breakthrough in the Mideast peace process in his lifetime. Carter, Meshaal and lower-level officials had a closed-door meeting that lasted more than an hour and a half. The ex-president's visits with top Hamas officials this week have drawn condemnation from the U.S. and Israeli governments. They said Carter is engaging in diplomacy with a group they consider a terrorist organization. Carter's controversial tour of the Middle East included a meeting Thursday in Cairo, Egypt, with two other senior Hamas politicians. "I'm not a negotiator. I'm just trying to understand different opinions and communicate, provide communications between people that won't communicate with each other," Carter said at the start of his trip. Most Israeli officials have refused to receive Carter during his visit to the region, angry over his insistence that Israel should talk to Hamas. Many Israelis dislike Carter's observations about Israeli policies toward the Palestinians in his 2006 book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." U.S. and Israeli officials said they believe that Carter's talks with Hamas will achieve little and even could harm the Middle East peace process.

i'm interested to hear what you guys think about this. personally, i think this is great. obviously, i am no expert on foreign policy, but I think that unless we are willing to take the first step to bridge the gap between groups like Hamas, Al Queda, other Sunni & Shi'ite Radicals and the western world, then nothing will ever change. the hatred will continue to increase. this is my short-version opinion. i am interested to hear yours before i comment further.