The Jimmy Carter flap

[Donkey®]

Carter Center advisers resign over book - CNN.com

Originally Posted by article

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Former President Jimmy Carter's controversial book and subsequent remarks about the Israel-Palestinian conflict have prompted the resignations of 14 people from an advisory board of the Carter Center, the 25-year-old Atlanta-based humanitarian organization.

The 14 explained their concerns, which reflect an uproar in the U.S. Jewish community over Carter's Mideast stance, in letters sent Thursday to fellow Board of Councilors members and Carter.

"We can no longer endorse your strident and uncompromising position," the letter to Carter said. "This is not the Carter Center or the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support."

The letter to the fellow Board of Councilors, with more than 200 members, was brief and less detailed but expressed concern about Carter's book "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid."

"We are deeply troubled by the president's comments and writings and are submitting the following letter of resignation to the Carter Center," the letter said.

The letters were signed by Alan Abrams, Steve Berman, Michael Coles, Jon Golden, Doug Hertz, Barbara Babbit Kaufman, Liane Levetan, Jeff Levy, Leon Novak, Ambassador William B. Schwartz Jr., William B. Schwartz III, Steve Selig, Cathey Steinberg, and Gail Solomon. (Watch Carter defend his stance Video)

The letter to Carter said while each person "has been proud to be associated" with the center and its work, "we can no longer in good conscience continue to serve the center as members of the Board of Councilors."

The Board of Councilors is separate from the center's board of trustees, which is its governing body, the center says.

The Board of Councilors "is an advisory body of community leaders and business people who are briefed quarterly on the center's work and serve as emissaries of the center to the greater community," the center said. "They are not engaged in implementing work of the center and are not a governing board."

The letter to Carter accused him of abandoning his "historic role of broker in favor of becoming an advocate for one side." Carter's book confused "opinion with fact, subjectivity with objectivity and force for change with partisan advocacy," the letter said.

"Israelis, through deed and public comment, have consistently spoken of a desire to live in peace and make territorial compromise to achieve this status. The Palestinian side has consistently resorted to acts of terror as a national expression and elected parties endorsing the use of terror, the rejection of territorial compromise and of Israel's right to exist. Palestinian leaders have had chances since 1947 to have their own state, including during your own presidency when they snubbed your efforts."

The center's initial response to the departures expressed appreciation for the members' efforts but did not address the concerns.

"We are grateful to these Board of Councilors members for their years of service and support for The Carter Center in advancing peace and health around the world," the center said.

Many Jewish groups say it is unfair to equate Israel or its policies in occupied territories with the old South African apartheid system that divided the races.

Carter has said the term refers to Israeli policies in occupied territories, not to Israel itself.

The former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner has been busy speaking out on the issue since the book was published.

Brandeis University in Massachusetts -- a nonsectarian school with a Jewish heritage and a large Jewish student body -- said Thursday that Carter will speak there and take questions.

The school said he "has accepted an invitation from a student and faculty committee" there "to speak on campus, perhaps as soon as January 23, although the date may be subject to change."

Jesus Christ. Another example that criticizing the Israeli's is a no-no here in Israel Jr. Sure, they don't bomb shit and protest in the streets but they cry just the same. Carter's contention that Israel practices full blown apartheid towards the Palestinians is 150% correct. Not sure what the issue is here?

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Carter Center advisers resign over book - CNN.com





Jesus Christ. Another example that criticizing the Israeli's is a no-no here in Israel Jr. Sure, they don't bomb shit and protest in the streets but they cry just the same. Carter's contention that Israel practices full blown apartheid towards the Palestinians is 150% correct. Not sure what the issue is here?

They are cowards afraid of being called anti-semites...anyone who criticizes Israel for any reason is an anti-semite...want to talk about how Israel spied(spies) on the US? Anti-semite, you hate jews

The same people who are so 'anti-pc' embrace the same values when it shields them from criticism

[Stylerod]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Carter Center advisers resign over book - CNN.com





Jesus Christ. Another example that criticizing the Israeli's is a no-no here in Israel Jr. Sure, they don't bomb shit and protest in the streets but they cry just the same. Carter's contention that Israel practices full blown apartheid towards the Palestinians is 150% correct. Not sure what the issue is here?

I guess the issue is some people that have devoted their time and energy to a cause that they and Carter were fighting for. These people read Carters book and found that Carter had changed his view and decided not to work with him anymore.

Oh, and

14 Carter Center Advisers Resign in Protest over New Book

[infinite loop]

yeah, this is utter bullshit. we're seriously moving towards a society where anyone who says anything that's not 100% in support of israel will be labeled an antisemite.

[ballz2wallz]

Uh, Carter lied in his book and they don't want to be associated with that. Does that not matter to you guys?

Funny, considering Ford called Carter one of the 'poorest presidents' of his lifetime. How appropriate.

[Thorgrim]

You're are claiming he lied, substantiate your claims...show me proof of multiple lies that destroy the premise of his book

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

You're are claiming he lied, substantiate your claims...show me proof of multiple lies that destroy the premise of his book

I don't have to; the former head of the Carter Center has already done it nicely.

[Thorgrim]

a disgruntled ex-employee writes he doesn't like the book, aww

"They've never been on the same page in the Middle East. They've been in an almost constant state of disagreement," Brinkley said. Stein "doesn't trust the Palestinians as much as Carter."

No real claims whatsoever in your link, is that the best you can do?

[Diamond Cross]

Apparently the best you can do is just dismiss without facts to support your claims either.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by Diamond Cross

Apparently the best you can do is just dismiss without facts to support your claims either.

I have tons of posts about the abuses of the IDF, feel free to bring them back if you feel they were so factually incorrect

[Donkey®]

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

I don't have to; the former head of the Carter Center has already done it nicely.

Gee....is he a Jew upset about Carter's comparisons? Go figure.

If what goes on in Israel isn't Apartheid, I don't know what is. There are policies and rules set up SPECIFICALLY against a certain set of people based on racial traits. Palestinians have to have "papers" to move through the territories, they have to submit themselves to search and harrassment at checkpoint that Israelis don't have to go through. They can't live in the same areas as Israelis. Seems like Jim Crow or Apartheid to me.

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

a disgruntled ex-employee writes he doesn't like the book, aww

Disgruntled ex-employee?! In case you didn't notice, he quit on his own. He wasn't an ex-employee when this book came out.

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

If what goes on in Israel isn't Apartheid, I don't know what is. There are policies and rules set up SPECIFICALLY against a certain set of people based on racial traits. Palestinians have to have "papers" to move through the territories, they have to submit themselves to search and harrassment at checkpoint that Israelis don't have to go through. They can't live in the same areas as Israelis. Seems like Jim Crow or Apartheid to me.

Perhaps you should read up on apartheid then. It's obvious you don't know what it is.

[kinggovernor]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Gee....is he a Jew upset about Carter's comparisons? Go figure.

If what goes on in Israel isn't Apartheid, I don't know what is. There are policies and rules set up SPECIFICALLY against a certain set of people based on racial traits. Palestinians have to have "papers" to move through the territories, they have to submit themselves to search and harrassment at checkpoint that Israelis don't have to go through. They can't live in the same areas as Israelis. Seems like Jim Crow or Apartheid to me.

that is in no way close to a Jim Crow or Apartheid situation

[Donkey®]

Look up the word "apartheid" in a dictionary guys...it describes the situation pretty well. Just because you claim it doesn't really doesn't mean much. Of course I didn't sit and list every single thing that the Palestinians have to go through...but I didn't think there was a need to educate people who know so much about the situation.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

Perhaps you should read up on apartheid then. It's obvious you don't know what it is.

Tell us all about your experiences in South Africa

Anyway, back to the wikipedia wrapup:

Apartheid (literally "apartness" in Afrikaans) was a system of racial segregation that was enforced in Israel from 1948. Israel had long been ruled by Jews and apartheid was designed to form a legal framework for continued economic and political dominance by people of Jewish descent.

Under apartheid, people were legally classified into a racial group - the main ones being Jews, Palestinians, and Israeli Arabs - and were geographically, and forcibly, separated from each other on the basis of the legal classification. The former Palestinian majority, in particular, legally became citizens of particular "homelands" that were nominally sovereign nations but operated more akin to United States Indian Reservations and Australian/Canadian Aboriginal Reserves. In reality however, a majority of Palestinians never resided in these "homelands."

In practice, this prevented non-jewish people — even if actually resident in Jewish Israel — from having a vote or influence, restricting their rights to faraway homelands that they may never have visited. Education, medical care, and other public services were sometimes claimed to be separate but equal, but those available to the Palestinian people were generally inferior.

History of South Africa in the apartheid era - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[kinggovernor]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

Tell us all about your experiences in South Africa

Anyway, back to the wikipedia wrapup:

Apartheid (literally "apartness" in Afrikaans) was a system of racial segregation that was enforced in Israel from 1948. Israel had long been ruled by Jews and apartheid was designed to form a legal framework for continued economic and political dominance by people of Jewish descent.

Under apartheid, people were legally classified into a racial group - the main ones being Jews, Palestinians, and Israeli Arabs - and were geographically, and forcibly, separated from each other on the basis of the legal classification. The former Palestinian majority, in particular, legally became citizens of particular "homelands" that were nominally sovereign nations but operated more akin to United States Indian Reservations and Australian/Canadian Aboriginal Reserves. In reality however, a majority of Palestinians never resided in these "homelands."

In practice, this prevented non-jewish people — even if actually resident in Jewish Israel — from having a vote or influence, restricting their rights to faraway homelands that they may never have visited. Education, medical care, and other public services were sometimes claimed to be separate but equal, but those available to the Palestinian people were generally inferior.

History of South Africa in the apartheid era - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I never knew that Palestinian was a race

[Donkey®]

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

I never knew that Palestinian was a race

Ah, so because we're not talking about "race" that clarifies your point? It's still segregation based on cultural traits and looks.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

I never knew that Palestinian was a race

I didn't know there was a definite science on what constituted a race and what didn't...who is the final authority, what were the parameters of the study that made the determination, where is the dividing point?

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Ah, so because we're not talking about "race" that clarifies your point? It's still segregation based on cultural traits and looks.

Except all the Muslim Israelis living in peace and harmony in Israel completely ruins any accusation of segregation based on those factors.