Carter’s Middle East trip to include visit with captive’s father, tour of West Bank settlement

Itinerary announced for Carter’s Middle East trip

ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter’s latest Mideast peacemaking trip will include a visit with the father of a captive Israeli soldier and a tour of a West Bank settlement.

Carter is visiting Syria, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in his effort to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Carter Center said Tuesday that Carter will arrive in Jerusalem from Damascus toward the end of this week. His first meeting in Israel will be with Noam Schalit, father of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit, who has been held by Hamas militants for three years.

Carter also will meet with representatives on both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict, take a listening tour of a West Bank settlement, appear before a Knesset committee and meet with President Shimon Peres.