Former US president Jimmy Carter said the Palestinian Authority’s lack of control over terrorism and the Arab world’s denial of Israel's right to exist were major obstacles to peace. Carter, speaking at the Herzliya Conference, an annual gathering of Israeli and international leaders, is in the region to observe Palestinian elections. He will meet with Palestinian leaders, including PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Carter noted that the PA's armed forces number 60,000 and urged Palestinians to use all means possible, including "direct military confrontation," against those in their community who advocate violence and "despicable" suicide bombings. But Carter also spoke out against West Bank settlements. “Some Israeli settlers consider their settlements sacrosanct," said Carter. The settlements, he said, are unsustainable due to the continual expansion of the Palestinian population.