I won’t guess much about his motives, but it is fair to say that Jimmy Carter’s latest book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid was a definite act of courage. It is an unprecedented act of a former American President to publicly denounce the Israelis and the Israeli government. His book is a detailed account of how the Israeli government is hindering the peace process and encouraging terrorist retaliation. The book also highlights the double standards by which Israel runs its “State” and the Occupied Territory.
Not surprisingly, the Zionist Lobby in the US is going crazy over the book. He is publicly and personally attacked. He’s been labeled as anti-Semitic, terrorist and fundamentalist. Some have clearly accused him of promoting and justifying suicide bombing. For the past few weeks, there has not been a single talk show that did not attack him for the book. He actually revised the second edition of the book to delete a sentence that “might be understood as support for terrorism”.Though the book has a clear “religious” flavor, it is a complete historical review since the Intifada. It is the first time ever that an ex-president has the guts to tell things from the “other” perspective.
I truly believe that we should show Jimmy Carter some support as opposed to the attack he’s receiving from the other side. Irrespective of his motives or history, it takes real courage to stand against the Israeli lobby at the most unpopular times.
So, I suggest that we promote the book, buy multiple copies and write to Jimmy for support at:
The Carter Center
One Copenhill
453 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30307
E-mail: carterweb@emory.edu
Hope you enjoy the book!
