Jimmy Carter Defends 'Peace Not Apartheid'

[malaise]

He speaks for me

https://www.npr.org/2007/01/25/7004473/jimmy-carter-defends-peace-not-apartheid

Former President Jimmy Carter finds himself in a defensive posture after criticism of his new book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. The best-seller has generated a passionate response in critics who say it is slanted toward Palestinians, and full of inaccuracies.

Since the book was published, Carter says he has been branded an anti-Semite and a bigot. Reaction to the book included the resignation of 14 members of a Carter Center community board, who say Carter puts too much blame on Israel.

Carter responded to those charges at Brandeis University this week, where he was later rebutted by Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz.

[Omnipresent]

1. Unlike the rest of us tuning into the nightly news.

President Carter had a front row seat in reading over intelligence briefings about conflict in the middle east.

Carter has always been a fair minded leader, and that is just one of many things, his critics can’t take away from him.

[rampartc]

9. the hreatest american i ever met.

the fundies could not abide that mr carter actually tried to walk the walk.

[Niagara]

52. Hello. Can you provide a link to that?

The only news articles that I can find are articles where Carter said that he voted for Sanders in the 2016 primary election.


I can't find a anything stating that Carter wrote in Sanders for the 2016 general election.

[TwilightZone]

56. No, he didn't.

You should probably find new sources, assuming you didn't just make that up.

He voted for Sanders in the primary, not the general election.

[fishwax]

58. lol -- where did you get that information

[progressoid]

60. Must have been looking over his shoulder when he voted.

[2live is 2fly]

47. Intelligence briefings from 43 +, years ago. Of course maybe thats relatable to his book as I

haven't read it. I do know those intel. briefings didn't help him with what happened at the American Embassy in 1979, or his response to it. IMHO he could've played more into negotiating some basic American two party system facts.

Like it was Republican Eisenhower who helped Churchill disgrace & negate Irans election in the early 50's, (the Mossedeh coup) helping to install the Shah's brutal regime. A move that Churchill (British Petroleum) requested first from (Democrat) Truman & our relaively new CIA, which Truman flat out refused to go along with. Along with the fact it was he Democrat) Carter who initiated withdrawing support from the Shah.

Why would the Iranian students (who took the Embassy) want to harm the American political party thats always believed in a countries right to self determination and help the party (Reagans' party) that's done nothing but promote dictators like the Shah?

And if negotiations weren't working, then he should've began massing troops. Then maybe we could've prevented 8-years of Reagan & 4-years of Bush Sr.

[sarisataka]

55. WOW

Just wow

[Omnipresent]

59. Even former presidents get intelligence briefings...

[hlthe2b]

2. Former Pres. Jimmy Carter or Dirtbag Dershowitz: gee that would have been a tough choice...

Dershowitz, who went on to defend Trump, despite his rampant antisemitism and ties to the "Jews will not replace us" far RW/NeoNazis/KKK/and other extremists and hate groups. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Carter might not have been perfect, but he does not have the dishonest "gene" of most politicians who lie as readily as they breathe. Nor could he ever have been antisemitic IMHO. I get that some of his former aids were not able to tolerate his criticism of Israel in his book, but a differing assessment does not an "antisemite" make.

[malaise]

3. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Nailed it

[BlueMTexpat]

7. Absolutely this! eom

[2naSalit]

21. Those who can't...

Or refuse to see that need to step back and cool their jets.

[Johonny]

43. But Alan kept his underpants on the whole rebuttal

[BComplex]

46. Dershowitz was in that Florida trial where he and Alex Acosta, Trump's labor secretary,

helped conspire to let Jeffrey Epstein get away with trafficking in underage girls. Not a good candidate for truth telling.

[Goddessartist]

4. He speaks for me as well.

Any criticism of the State of Israel incurs a backlash, especially when it's true.

[BlueMTexpat]

5. Former President Carter

also speaks for me.

Thanks for posting!

[mtngirl47]

6. That book is one that I gift to people

So they can understand the many problems with the expansion of Israel and the plight of the Palestinian people.

I’m sad that the world didn’t listen to President Carter on many things.

Peace ☮️

[malaise]

10. THiS

More people,should read it

[elias7]

8. 20% of Israeli population are Palestinians totally integrated in society, not apart.

[Marius25]

18. Honestly, most people have no clue what Apartheid is.

Even countries like France say Israel is not an Apartheid state.

https://www.jpost.com/international/article-742063

French parliament declares Israel not an apartheid state
Habib called the accusation that Israel is an apartheid state “the biggest fake news of the 21st century” and “the fuel that drives all of the antisemites in the world.”

[ECL213]

37. It's not an Apartheid state...

it's just racist as f&%K. And pointing it out doesn't make one antisemitic.

[Marius25]

45. It does when you call for it to be wiped out

or when you blame Jews for the issues of Israel.

The pro-Palestine rallies globally right now prove this issue was never about Israel. People can't chant "Gas the Jews" in Western countries and pretend the problem is Israel.

Also, the US and Europe are insanely racist, yet they get no where near the criticism Israel does.

[ECL213]

54. Well...

I didn't blame the Jews for anything, I just pointed out that many of Israel's policies are racist as fuck, and pointing it out makes one neither antisemitic or anti-Israel.

I think many of the "pro-Palestine" rallies you're referring to, at least the ones involving people who aren't racist as fuck, are trying to urge Israel to not act racist as fuck and kill a bunch of innocent civilians while they get their revenge on the racist as fuck assholes who attacked them.

The people chanting "Gas the Jews" in Western countries are also racist as fuck. There are many racists fucks all over the world. That doesn't justify acting racist as fuck no matter how much or how little it is criticized.

[Omnipresent]

57. +1

[Roy Rolling]

11. Long Term Thinking

President Carter was a long-term thinker, and short-term government profiteers hated him for it.

His energy conservation policies broke the back of OPEC in the early 1980s.

Cartels were never the same after Carter.

[malaise]

25. Great point

[Jose Garcia]

12. He apologized two years later:

Jimmy Carter Apologizes For Criticizing Israel

Former President Jimmy Carter apologized this week for criticizing Israel for its treatment of Palestinians in his writings and comments, statements like calling the Jewish nation an "apartheid" state which, he suggests, may have stigmatized it.

Carter's Al Het, which means "for the sin" in Hebrew, actually came earlier in the week when Carter issued it to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. But it really started to go viral Wednesday.

More: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2009/12/jimmy_carter_apologizes_for_cr.html

[Maru Kitteh]

27. This is a very important point on the subject, thank you

for bringing it forward.

[redqueen]

49. That's weird, because it clearly is an apartheid state. nt

[prodigitalson]

13. I'll take Jimmy Carter over Alan Dershowitz any day

[ificandream]

17. Indeed.

[Lonestarblue]

14. I had read two books about Israel before President Carter published his, and all three have had

a great influence on my thinking of the current conflict. The other two books are by Israeli historian and journalist Tom Segev, One Palestine, Complete and 1967. Both are well worth reading, and both highlight failures that have contributed to a never-ending cycle of war. All three are helpful in understanding that the failures of Arab nations and Palestinian leadership but also the arrogance of Israelis who thought that nothing was owed to the Palestinians whose lands they were taking.

[malaise]

15. It's that simple really

All three are helpful in understanding that the failures of Arab nations and Palestinian leadership but also the arrogance of Israelis who thought that nothing was owed to the Palestinians whose lands they were taking.

[crickets]

64. Thank you for sharing those titles. It's library time. nt

[Butterflylady]

16. I'm with you, malaise.

[Marius25]

22. Jimmy Carter apologized for his claims, so the OP is inaccurate

[ificandream]

19. Note that the OP is a 2007 story.

[Marius25]

23. And Carter apologized for his claims

This thread is blatant misinformation.

[malaise]

26. Huh? n/t

[Marius25]

28. Jimmy Carter Apologizes For Criticizing Israel

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2009/12/jimmy_carter_apologizes_for_cr.html

Former President Jimmy Carter apologized this week for criticizing Israel for its treatment of Palestinians in his writings and comments, statements like calling the Jewish nation an "apartheid" state which, he suggests, may have stigmatized it.

You should probably delete this thread since it's not accurate.

[malaise]

32. FFS

So ban the book.
Carter was correct - he presented the facts.

[flying_wahini]

33. Carter was correct. Still is.

[Maru Kitteh]

29. Jose Garcia upthread posted a link discussing Jimmy Carter's apology

Jimmy Carter Apologizes For Criticizing Israel

Former President Jimmy Carter apologized this week for criticizing Israel for its treatment of Palestinians in his writings and comments, statements like calling the Jewish nation an "apartheid" state which, he suggests, may have stigmatized it.

Carter's Al Het, which means "for the sin" in Hebrew, actually came earlier in the week when Carter issued it to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. But it really started to go viral Wednesday.

More: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2009/12/jimmy_carter_apologizes_for_cr.html

[madaboutharry]

34. It is disheartening that although he apologized in 2009,

many here choose to ignore that fact because it doesn’t fit into their established opinion.

[progressoid]

61. +1 n/t

[spanone]

20. fuck dershowitz

[Ferrets are Cool]

24. Any critic of Former President Carter is an idiot and asswipe.

JMO

[Maru Kitteh]

31. Jimmy Carter is the closest thing to a saint this nonbeliever could believe in

but he did apologize to the Jewish Community over some of the sentiment contained in his book, or at the very least, the framing.

Jimmy Carter Apologizes For Criticizing Israel

Former President Jimmy Carter apologized this week for criticizing Israel for its treatment of Palestinians in his writings and comments, statements like calling the Jewish nation an "apartheid" state which, he suggests, may have stigmatized it.

Carter's Al Het, which means "for the sin" in Hebrew, actually came earlier in the week when Carter issued it to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. But it really started to go viral Wednesday.

More: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2009/12/jimmy_carter_apologizes_for_cr.html

[LittleGirl]

35. I've felt that way

Since he was my first vote for Potus in ‘80. Unfortunately, not enough agreed with me and voted for the celebrity. Look where we are now.

[Ferrets are Cool]

53. Neither side is innocent and that is as far as I will go into this abyss.

[Magoo48]

30. +1

[madaboutharry]

36. This is a disingenuous OP.

Jimmy Carter later apologized for this in a very profound way.

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna34578915

Former President Jimmy Carter apologized for any words or deeds that may have upset the Jewish community in an open letter meant to improve an often-tense relationship.

He said he was offering an Al Het, a prayer said on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. It signifies a plea for forgiveness.

"We must not permit criticisms for improvement to stigmatize Israel," Carter said in the letter, which was first sent to JTA, a wire service for Jewish newspapers, and provided Wednesday to The Associated Press. "As I would have noted at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but which is appropriate at any time of the year, I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so."

Carter, who during his presidency brokered the first Israeli-Arab peace treaty, outraged many Jews with his 2006 book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." Critics contend he unfairly compared Israeli treatment of Arabs in the West Bank and Gaza to the legalized racial oppression that once existed in South Africa.

Shunned by Israeli leaders
Israeli leaders have also shunned him over his journey to Gaza to meet with Hamas, considered a terror group by the U.S., the European Union and Israel.

[redqueen]

63. That's ironic, considering netanyahus comments

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218352064

[MadLinguist]

38. Perfect division among deeply entrenched views

by people, organizations and institutions across the world that are usually in political and philosophical alliance is what we are witnessing here. There are clear beneficiaries to such circumstances. Maybe that is a better focus for discussions that this site tries to foster.

A narrative I think worth sharing is this:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/11/israel-palestine-war-biden-zelenskiy

Carter may have apologized, but he did not retract his overall view. That is the bigger picture it seems to me.

[malaise]

40. Precisely

That is all

[mahina]

42. Good points.

[Snackshack]

39. President Carter

Was absolutely right in his dissection of the reality of the issue.

Israel is not perfect and needs to stop acting like it is. What they have been dealing with in their right wing insanity has been going on for decades, we have only been experiencing it since 2016.

Of course Israel has a right to exist and defend itself. Palestinians also have a right to exist and defend themselves and if Palestine had a superpower partner that supported it they would have F16s and M1 Abrams Tanks, Predator Drones with Hellfire or Maverick missile but it does not so it uses what it can gets deem as “terrorist” weapons. If it is a model rocket w/ explosives taped or a million dollar missile sent from an F16 is no different, the point of both is to kill everything where it detonates.

Years ago the world court ruled Israel is in violation with its land grabs but Israel as it always does just acted like it had some divine right to the land (gwd did real estate brokering very very badly, in fact he failed at it) and ignored the ruling. Before piety gets in the way one should look at a phucking map of Israel from just a few year ago to today and you clearly see Israel slowly taking it all. If Mexico pulled the shit they do to the Palestinians along the southern border. Just showed up at 4 am with bull dozers and ordering everyone out and bulldozing the home then telling the people they just woke up in their pajamas to get the phuck lost because it was their land now….yea having lived in Az I can say with great confidence people would react very very violently.

As for Dershowitz how the fuck is he even still relevant after his BS w/ DT and how he “never” took his underwear off. 🖕 him. The paper he wrote in the 90’s saying age of consent should be lowered is sickening especially now that we know he was BFFs w/ DT and Epstein.

Isreal needs to realize that it’s “Gwd gave us this land” excuse no longer works as well as the continuous “woe is me” attitude a position taken on many subjects has lost credibility. Israel behaves badly and then wraps itself in a blanket of victimhood when ever it is called on the act or criticized. It never has a first response of “okay let re-evaluate why this is being said.”… never it’s always “my way or the highway”. Even worse on the gwd gave us this land issue.

Everyone in this planet has a right to live and exist. It’s is given at birth. I have been there. I have friends / co-workers and at one time family there. I love the place and its people but I hate the way it acts and treats others with total contempt based on a worn out position.

[malaise]

41. Well said

[redqueen]

50. Wish I could rec this!!

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[H2O Man]

48. Recommended.

I mentioned Carter's 2006 book in the essay I just posted.

[malaise]

51. Off to read it

Last edited Wed Oct 11, 2023, 05:43 PM - Edit history (1)

[progressoid]

62. He will die soon and the right wingers will bring this up from from 17 years ago.