Peace Not Apartheid

''Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid'' is a book written by Jimmy Carter. It was published by Simon & Schuster in November 2006.

The book is primarily based on Carter's long engagement in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, both before, during and after his presidency. He recounts his first visits to the Middle East as Governor of Georgia, his role as President in the Camp David Accords, his personal relationships with Arab and Israeli political leaders such as Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin, his involvement in the peace process since leaving the White House, as well as his successors' policies in the region.

In the book, Carter argues that Israel's continued control and construction of settlements in the West Bank have been the primary obstacles to a comprehensive peace agreement in the Middle East. That perspective, coupled with the use of the word "apartheid" in the title, and what critics said were errors and misstatements in the book, sparked controversy. Carter defended the book and countered that response to it "in the real world… has been overwhelmingly positive."

The 2007 documentary '' Man from Plains'' depicts the tour Carter undertook to promote the book.

Contents

Purpose

The ultimate purpose of my book is to present facts about the Middle East that are largely unknown in America, to precipitate discussion and to help restart peace talks (now absent for six years) that can lead to permanent peace for Israel and its neighbors. Another hope is that Jews and other Americans who share this same goal might be motivated to express their views, even publicly, and perhaps in concert. I would be glad to help with that effort.

Thesis

Carter identifies "two interrelated obstacles to permanent peace in the Middle East":

Some Israelis believe they have the right to confiscate and colonize Palestinian land and try to justify the sustained subjugation and persecution of increasingly hopeless and aggravated Palestinians; and

Some Palestinians react by honoring suicide bombers as martyrs to be rewarded in heaven and consider the killing of Israelis as victories.

To bring an end to what he calls "this continuing tragedy", in Chapter 17 ("Summary"), Carter calls for a revitalization of the peace process based on the following three "key requirements":

a. The security of Israel must be guaranteed ...

b. The internal debate within Israel must be resolved in order to define Israel's permanent legal boundary ...

c. The sovereignty of all Middle East nations and sanctity of international borders must be honored ...

Apartheid analogy

Regarding the use of the word "Apartheid" in the title of his book, Carter has said:

It's not Israel. The book has nothing to do with what's going on inside Israel which is a wonderful democracy, you know, where everyone has guaranteed equal rights and where, under the law, Arabs and Jews who are Israelis have the same privileges about Israel. That's been most of the controversy because people assume it's about Israel. It's not.Life & Times – Transcript – 12/14/06
/ref>

I've never alleged that the framework of apartheid existed within Israel at all, and that what does exist in the West Bank is based on trying to take Palestinian land and not on racism. So it was a very clear distinction.

In remarks broadcast over radio, Carter claimed that Israel's policies amounted to an apartheid worse than South Africa's:

When Israel does occupy this territory deep within the West Bank, and connects the 200-or-so settlements with each other, with a road, and then prohibits the Palestinians from using that road, or in many cases even crossing the road, this perpetrates even worse instances of apartness, or apartheid, than we witnessed even in South Africa.

Critical reaction and commentary

Critical response to ''Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid'' at the time of release was divided. According to Julie Bosman, criticism of the book "has escalated to a full-scale furor," much of which has focused on Carter's use of the word "apartheid" in the subtitle. Some critics, including several leaders of the Democratic Party and of American Jewish organizations, have interpreted the subtitle as an allegation of Israeli apartheid, which they believe to be inflammatory and unsubstantiated.http://my.brandeis.edu/news/item?news_item_id=7816 "Brandeis News: Full coverage of the Historic Jan. 23rd Visit by Former President Jimmy Carter," Brandeis University, 24 January 2007, accessed 27 January 2007Tom Zeller, Jr., http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/12/carter-and-his-critics-the-skirmishes-continue/ "Carter and His Critics: The Skirmishes Continue," ''New York Times'', The Lede (blog), 12 January 2007, assessed 12 January 2007; includes  Eric Pfeiffer, http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070125-112710-7481r.htm "Carter Apologizes for 'stupid' Book Passage,"] '' The Washington Times, Washington Times'' 26 January 2007, accessed 26 January 2007 Tony Karon, Senior Editor at TIME.com and a former anti-Apartheid activist for the ANC, said: "Jimmy Carter had to write this book precisely because Palestinian life and history is not accorded equal value in American discourse, far from it. And his use of the word apartheid is not only morally valid; it is essential, because it shakes the moral stupor that allows many liberals to rationalize away the daily, grinding horror being inflicted on Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza". Former President Bill Clinton wrote a brief letter to the chairman of the American Jewish Committee, thanking him for articles criticizing the book and citing his agreement with Dennis Ross's attempts to "straighten ... out" Carter's claims and conclusions about Clinton's own Camp David peace proposal in the summer of 2000.Cf. Jennifer Siegel
"Apartheid Book Exposes Carter-Clinton Rift:
Clinton: 'I Don’t Know Where His Information Came From'", ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', 30 March 2007, accessed 3 May 2007

Some critics claimed that Carter crossed the line into anti-Semitism. Abraham Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, initially accused Carter of "engaging in anti-Semitism" in the book; Foxman told James Traub later that he would not call the former president himself an "anti-Semite" or a "bigot".James D. Besser, "Jewish Criticism of Carter Intensifies: Charge of Anti-Semitism from One Leader as Ex-president Deepens His Critique of Israeli Policy in West Bank", ''The Jewish Week'', 15 December 2005, accessed 8 January 2007 Ethan Bronner also asserted that Carter's "overstatement" in the book "hardly adds up to anti-Semitism."

Some journalists and academics have praised Carter for what they believe to be speaking honestly about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in a media environment described as hostile to opponents of Israel's policies.George Bisharat
Truth At Last, While Breaking a U.S. Taboo of Criticizing Israel
''Philadelphia Inquirer'', January 2, 2007, editorial, accessed January 11, 2007. Some left-leaning Israeli politicians such as Yossi Beilin and Shulamit Aloni argued that Carter's critique of Israeli policy in the Palestinian territories reflects that of many Israelis themselves.

Carter's response to criticism of the book

Carter has responded to negative reviews in the mainstream news media in an op-ed published in the ''Los Angeles Times'' (which was excerpted in ''The Guardian'' and elsewhere):

He also wrote a "Letter to Jewish Citizens of America" explaining "his use of the term 'apartheid' and sympathizing with Israelis who fear terrorism."

In his op-ed "Reiterating the Keys to Peace", published in ''The Boston Globe'' on 20 December 2006, Carter summarizes " me major points in the book":

* Multiple deaths of innocent civilians have occurred on both sides, and this violence and all terrorism must cease
* For 39 years, Israel has occupied Palestinian land, and has confiscated and colonized hundreds of choice sites
* Often excluded from their former homes, land, and places of worship, protesting Palestinians have been severely dominated and oppressed. There is forced segregation between Israeli settlers and Palestine's citizens, with a complex pass system required for Arabs to traverse Israel's multiple checkpoints
* An enormous wall snakes through populated areas of what is left of the West Bank, constructed on wide swaths of bulldozed trees and property of Arab families, obviously designed to acquire more territory and to protect the Israeli colonies already built. (Hamas declared a unilateral cease-fire in August 2004 as its candidates sought local and then national offices, which they claim is the reason for reductions in casualties to Israeli citizens.)
* Combined with this wall, Israeli control of the Jordan River Valley will completely enclose Palestinians in their shrunken and divided territory. Gaza is surrounded by a similar barrier with only two openings, still controlled by Israel. The crowded citizens have no free access to the outside world by air, sea, or land
* The Palestinian people are now being deprived of the necessities of life by economic restrictions imposed on them by Israel and the United States because 42 percent voted for Hamas candidates in this year's election. Teachers, nurses, policemen, firemen and other employees cannot be paid, and the UN has reported food supplies in Gaza equivalent to those among the poorest families in sub-Sahara Africa, with half the families surviving on one meal a day
* Mahmoud Abbas, first as prime minister and now as president of the Palestinian National Authority and leader of the PLO, has sought to negotiate with Israel for almost six years, without success. Hamas leaders support such negotiations, promising to accept the results if approved by a Palestinian referendum
* UN Resolutions, the Camp David Accords of 1978, the Oslo Agreement of 1993, official US Policy, and the International Roadmap for Peace are all based on the premise that Israel withdraw from occupied territories. Also, Palestinians must accept the same commitment made by the 23 Arab nations in 2002: to recognize Israel's right to live in peace within its legal borders. These are the two keys to peaceJimmy Carter, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/12/20/reiterating_the_keys_to_peace/ "Reiterating the Keys to Peace," ''Boston Globe'' 20 December 2006, accessed 3 January 2007. (Bullets added)

In a report updated by the Associated Press after the publication of Carter's "Letter to Jewish Citizens of America", Greg Bluestein observes that Carter replied generally to complaints of the book's errors and inaccuracies by Dennis Ross, Alan Dershowitz, Kenneth Stein, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and others by pointing out that the Carter Center staff as well as an "unnamed 'distinguished' reporter" fact-checked it.Associated Press
"Carter Explains Apartheid Reference in Letter to US Jews"
''International Herald Tribune'', 15 December 2006, accessed 12 March 2007 Rachel Zelkowitz points out that, as cited in various news accounts, "Carter has consistently defended his book's accuracy against Stein and other critics"; in a prepared statement, Carter's press secretary Deanna Congileo responds "that Carter had his book reviewed for accuracy throughout the writing process" and that " with all of President Carter's previous books, any detected errors will be corrected in later editions ..." In response to the Associated Press's request for a comment on the resignations of Stein and 14 other members of the Center's Board of Councilors, speaking on behalf of both Carter and the Carter Center, Congileo provided a statement from its executive director, John Hardman, who, according to Zelkowitz, "also fact checked ''Palestine'', saying that the members of that board 'are not engaged in implementing the work of the Center.'"Associated Press, "Atlanta: 14 Carter Center Advisers Resign in Protest Over Book", AccessNorthGA.com, 11 January 2007, accessed 11 January 2007

Public and other programs pertaining to the book

Carter said that debate on Israel-related issues was muffled in the US media by lobbying efforts of the pro-Israel lobby: " ny controversial issues concerning Palestine and the path to peace for Israel are intensely debated among Israelis and throughout other nations—but not in the United States. ... This reluctance to criticize any policies of the Israeli government is because of the extraordinary lobbying efforts of the American-Israel Political Action Committee icand the absence of any significant contrary voices." He expressed hope that the book would help to "precipitate discussion and help restart peace talks (now absent for six years) that can lead to permanent peace for Israel and its neighbours.

Brandeis University visit

In early December 2006, Brandeis University invited Carter to visit the university to debate his book with lawyer, professor and prominent supporter of Israel Alan Dershowitz. Carter declined that invitation, explaining: "I don't want to have a conversation even indirectly with Dershowitz. There is no need to for me to debate somebody who, in my opinion, knows nothing about the situation in Palestine." Carter said that the Brandeis debate request "is proof that many in the United States are unwilling to hear an alternative view on the nation's most taboo foreign policy issue, Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory," adding: "There is no debate in America about anything that would be critical of Israel."

Dershowitz criticized Carter's refusal to debate him, asserting: "Carter’s refusal to debate wouldn't be so strange if it weren't for the fact that he claims that he wrote the book precisely so as to start debate over the issue of the Israel-Palestine peace process. If that were really true, Carter would be thrilled to have the opportunity to debate." He later wrote in ''The Case Against Israel's Enemies'' that Carter's accusation of his ignorance was untrue "since we had discussed my several visits to the Palestinian Authority during our conversation only months earlier in Herzliya."

In a ''Boston Globe'' article of 22 December 2006, Patricia Johnston said that she and many colleagues had offered to chip in perhaps $100 each to pay for whatever travel and security costs a Carter visit would entail. "Who is Alan Dershowitz?" Johnston said. Carter "is the former president of the United States, who has done so much to further the cause of peace in the Middle East and elsewhere. It's an insult to suggest that he should have to defend himself that way." She said she envisioned Carter giving a traditional speech and taking audience questions.

On 26 December 2006, WCVB-TV, an ABC-TV affiliate, reported that " out 100 students, faculty and alumni of Brandeis University have signed an online petition to push the administration to bring former President Carter to campus to discuss his new book on Palestine, without being required to debate it."http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/10609718/detail.html "Brandeis Students Support Carter Visit: Students, Faculty Sign Online Petition", (updated) online posting, ''TheBostonChannel.com'', WCVB-TV, Channel 5, Boston, 26 December 2006, accessed 26 December 2006

''The Boston Globe'' reported that since it initially revealed "that Carter felt unwelcome on the Waltham campus, people have argued over whether he is unwilling to answer for his views, or whether Brandeis, which was founded by the American Jewish community, can't tolerate criticism of Israel. The latter is a view that some professors hope they can dispel by reviving the Carter visit."

On 10 January 2007, it was reported that Carter would discuss ''Palestine Peace Not Apartheid'' at Brandeis University but that he would "not, however, debate the book with" Dershowitz. Brandeis officials reported that Carter would "be the first former president to visit Brandeis since Harry Truman delivered the commencement address in 1957.... It will be Carter's first visit to a university to discuss the book, arter's spokeswoman DeannaCongileo said", confirming also "the president has set no conditions and would answer as many questions as possible"; Carter plans to "speak for about 15 minutes and then answer questions for 45 minutes during the visit."

The speech, which occurred on 23 January 2007, was "closed to the public and limited to 'members of the university community only; nevertheless, Dershowitz said that he still planned to "attend and question Carter": I will be the first person to have my hand up to ask him a question,' he said. 'I guarantee that they won't stop me from attending.

On 18 January 2007, news outlets reported Brandeis's announcement that while Dershowitz could not attend Carter's speech, after it ended he would have the stage for a "rebuttal."

The day after the speech (24 January 2007), ''The New York Times'' reported on the program: "Questions were preselected by the committee that invited Mr. Carter, and the questioners included an Israeli student and a Palestinian student. After Mr. Carter left, Mr. Dershowitz spoke in the same gymnasium, saying that the former president oversimplified the situation and that his conciliatory and sensible-sounding speech at Brandeis belied his words in some other interviews." According to David Weber of ABC News, Carter said "that he stood by the book and its title, that he apologized for what he called an 'improper and stupid' sentence in the book [which he acknowledged seemed to justify terrorism by saying that suicide bombings should end when Israel accepts the goals of the road map to peace with Palestinians and which he had already instructed his publisher to remove from its future editions,] and that he had been disturbed by accusations that he was anti-Semitic.... [Carter]...acknowledged...that 'Palestine Peace Not Apartheid' has 'caused great concern in the Jewish community,' but noted that it has nonetheless prompted discussion." An editorial published in the Waltham, Massachusetts newspaper, the ''Daily News Tribune'', concludes: "Carter succeeded in bringing to Brandeis a productive, civil debate." Videotaped excerpts from Carter's visit to Brandeis were featured on several national news programs in the United States, such as NBC's morning program ''Today'', along with follow-up interviews with Carter.

As a result of the visit, major donors told Brandeis University that they would no longer give it money in "retaliation", according to Stuart E. Eizenstat, Domestic Affairs Advisor during Carter's presidency and a former trustee of Brandeis, as quoted in ''The Jewish Week'' in mid-February 2007.Larry Cohler-Esses
"Brandeis Donors Exact Revenge For Carter Visit:
Major Givers Reportedly Withholding Funds from School, Sparking Fierce Free-Speech Debate on Massachusetts Campus", ''The Jewish Week'', 16 February 2006, accessed 23 March 2007

''Man from Plains'' documentary

In 2007, Jonathan Demme directed the documentary film '' Man from Plains,'' which "follows the former President as he takes part in a book tour across America to publicise his new tome, ''Palestine Peace Not Apartheid''."Chris Tilly, "Demme 'Comes in Peace'," ''The Time Out Movie Blog: This Week's Top Stories from the Movie World'' (TOMB), ''Time Out London'', 5 December 2006, accessed 23 January 2007Borys Kitt and Nicole Sperling, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i01ddb1dac0f7f4bd485b9e1f3984dd7a "Demme Helms Docu on Carter for Participant", ''The Hollywood Reporter'', 6 December 2006, accessed 3 May 2007. Cf. Nick Paumgarten, http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/12/11/061211ta_talk_paumgarten "Jimmy Carter Aloft", ''The New Yorker'', 11 December 2006, accessed 3 May 2007 According to ''The Boston Globe'', Demme filmed Carter for three months "to compile footage for a documentary about the former president's book and Carter's efforts to increase debate on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict." While it granted camera access to members of the news media for their broadcasts, Brandeis University refused Demme's request to film Carter's January 2007 speech for the end of the film, citing logistical and legal considerations. The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2007. "''Man from Plains'' Jonathan Demme", Toronto International Film Festival official website "film schedules", accessed 10 September 2007.

Carter Center conversation

On 22 February 2007, Carter participated in a conversation about ''Palestine Peace Not Apartheid'' with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (who also served on the National Security Council during the Carter presidency) at the Carter Center, moderated by Conflict Resolution Program Director Matthew Hodes. The event sold out in early January 2007. It was simultaneously webcast in the Carter Center's online "multi-media" section, and the Center's website now includes a direct link to the "archived webcast."

University of Iowa visit

Pointing out that "The former president rarely speaks about his book at universities. He says he’s been invited to more than 100 campuses, but he's only visited five," Claire Keller reported that, during his public appearance at the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, on 18 April 2007,http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2007/april/041107carter-tickets.html "University of Iowa News Release", press release, University of Iowa, 11 April 2007, accessed 12 June 2007 (provides related links) Carter said, "I wrote this book to describe the plight of the Palestinians and because I'm convinced we desperately need debate about where we are and where we ought to be going, and how to rejuvenate the non-existent peace process in the Middle East" ... nd thatCarter says the book's objective is permanent peace for Israel and its neighbors; it’s something the former president says he’s dedicated his entire adult life to.Claire Kellett
"Jimmy Carter Visits Iowa City"
, KCRG, 18 April 2007, updated 19 April 2007, accessed 11 June 2007

Keller wrote that "Many in attendance applaud his efforts" but that "others criticize the author, claiming his book contains factual errors and misstatements. Members of the local Jewish community say it's simply one-sided." She quotes Tali Ariav of the Hillel Jewish Student Center on the Iowa campus, who said, I am an Israeli so of course I served in the military, so I feel emotionally involved, but I feel every person, every American, every thinker needs to think twice about Carter's opinion, because it's not right' ..." Nevertheless, Keller added, "Carter adamantly defends the accuracy of his book, saying he wrote every word himself."

University of California, Irvine visit

On 3 May 2007, Carter presented a lecture and participated in a discussion relating to the book in conjunction with the Center for the Study of Democracy and Model United Nations, in association with the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, Department of Political Science, at the University of California, Irvine. According to Carter's lecture transcript, in answering a question on whether conflict between pro- and anti-Israel student groups obstructs chances of peace, he said, "I think an altercation or debate or sometimes even an uncomfortable confrontation on a college campus in America is a good move in the right direction. But I would like to see the leaders of those two groups form a combined group that would take advantage of my invitation to go to Palestine and see what’s going on."

See also

* Carter Center
* Israeli apartheid

Notes

Further reading

* Abunimah, Ali. ''One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli–Palestinian Impasse''. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2006. (10). (13)
* Foxman, Abraham H. ''Never Again? The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism''. New York: HarperSanFrancisco (an imprint of HarperCollins), 2003. (10).
* Konner, Melvin. ''Unsettled: An Anthropology of the Jews''. Rpt. New York: Viking Adult, 2003. (10). (13)
* Ross, Dennis. ''The Missing Peace: The Inside Story of the Fight for Middle East Peace''. Rpt. paperback ed. 2004; New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005. (10). (13)
* Troy, Gil. ''Why I Am a Zionist: Israel, Jewish Identity and the Challenges of Today''. 3rd ed. 2001; Montreal: Bronfman Jewish Education Centre, 2006. (10). (13)

External links

Carter Q&A: Carter Question Blog3
hosted by Brandeis University faculty and students about the book pursuant to the Brandeis University visit by Jimmy Carter. Answers by Carter. Also presents links to transcript of Carter's opening remarks, books, and media coverage. (Registration required for participation)
* . Documentary film by Jonathan Demme focusing on Jimmy Carter's book tour for ''Palestine Peace Not Apartheid''. 2007

{{Jimmy Carter

2006 non-fiction books
Books about Palestinians
Books by Jimmy Carter
Books critical of Israel
Israeli apartheid
Israeli–Palestinian conflict books
Political science books
Books written by presidents of the United States