January 27, 2007

Palestine Peace Not Apartheid

by Jimmy Carter

MEETING: The UUUS Book Discussion Group's first meeting in
2007 will be January 27, the fourth Saturday, at 10am. Mark
your calendar. Friends and visitors are welcome.

PLACE: University Unitarian Universalist Society, 11648 McCulloch Rd: From University Boulevard go north on Rouse Rd. 1.0 mi; east on McCulloch Rd. 0.5 mi.

QUESTIONS?: Contact Steve Hall, Program Chairman, University UUS Home Phone: 407-681-5066. I hope to see you there.
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BOOK REVIEWS:

Fresh Debate on Israel's West Bank Policies " The US which as Carter writes 'stands almost alone in its undeviating backing of Israel' plays an extremely important role in Israel. He adds that 'strong support for peace must come from the US.' So far this is not happening. Provoking debate in the US, however this is achieved, is of extreme importance for future peace in our region. The former US President seems to be succeeding in doing just this. With his well documented book and its provocative title, Carter is working to achieve 'one of the major goals of [his] life' as he makes clear at the outset of his book: 'to help ensure a lasting peace for Israelis and others in the Middle East'.” 2006-12-19, Raja Shehadeh, California Literary Review

A Conservative View: "Carter's book can be summed up as an ill conceived and egregious attack on Israel and the Jewish people. It is a shoddy attempt to present his own biased and anti-Semitic views in the form of an intellectual treatise." 2006-12-31, Fern Sidman on Right Truth web site.

From Publishers Weekly The term "good-faith" is almost inappropriate when applied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a bloody struggle interrupted every so often by negotiations that turn out to be anything but honest. Nonetheless, thirty years after his first trip to the Mideast, former President Jimmy Carter still has hope for a peaceful, comprehensive solution to the region's troubles, delivering this informed and readable chronicle as an offering to the cause. An engineer of the 1978 Camp David Accords and 2002 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Carter would seem to be a perfect emissary in the Middle East, an impartial and uniting diplomatic force in a fractured land. Not entirely so. Throughout his work, Carter assigns ultimate blame to Israel, arguing that the country's leadership has routinely undermined the peace process through its obstinate, aggressive and illegal occupation of territories seized in 1967. He's decidedly less critical of Arab leaders, accepting their concern for the Palestinian cause at face value, and including their anti-Israel rhetoric as a matter of course, without much in the way of counter-argument. Carter's book provides a fine overview for those unfamiliar with the history of the conflict and lays out an internationally accepted blueprint for peace. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist It is generally believed that history will judge Jimmy Carter a better ex-president than president, with his good works as an "ex" tipping the scales in that direction. His latest book derives from his personal experiences in both arenas: as chief executive of the nation and as founder of the Carter Foundation, his postpresidency organization dedicated to world peace. In essence, the reader is presented with a history of Arab-Israeli discord and the search for a successful resolution. He cites the lack of permanent peace in the Middle East as a "persistent threat to global peace" and posits that the stumbling blocks to a lasting cessation of armed conflict are to be found within two contexts: Israel's unwillingness to comply with international law and honor its previous peace commitments, and Arab nations' refusal to openly acknowledge Israel's right to live undisturbed. The former president's ideas are expressed with perfect clarity; his book, of course, represents a personal point of view, but one that is certainly grounded in both knowledge and wisdom. His outlook on the problem not only contributes to the literature of debate surrounding it but also, just as importantly, delivers a worthy game plan for clearing up the dilemma. Brad Hooper Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Judy Woodruff (NPR) does an interesting interview with Mr. Carter whose book has received a lot of negative press by mainstream American media which refuses to air a more objective view concerning Palestine.

There have been numerous attacks against Mr. Carter and his book, some of which are covered here- Carter's Real Sin is Cutting to the Heart of the Matter.
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Listen to a Debate on Israel's Assault on Gaza

Other books which explore a similar topic:

Norman Finkelstein, Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict