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Jimmy Carter: Israel's 'apartheid' policies worse than South Africa's
[Haaretz, 12 December 2006]
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/799476.html
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said in remarks
broadcast Monday that Israeli policy in the West Bank
represented instances of apartheid worse even that those
that once held sway in South Africa.
Carter's comments were broadcast on Israel Radio, which
played a tape of an interview with the ex-president, but
did not specify to whom Carter was speaking.
"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."
Carter said his new book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid"
was meant to spark U.S. discussion of Israeli policies.
"The hope is that my book will at least stimulate a
debate, which has not existed in this country. There's
never been any debate on this issue, of any significance."
The book has sparked strong criticism from Jewish figures
in the United States. Abraham H. Foxman, national director
of the Anti-Defamation League, has said that some comments
from the former president border on anti-Semitism.
"When you think about the charge that he has made that the
Jewish people control the means of communication, it is
odious," Foxman was quoted as saying last week. "If the
Jews controlled the media, how come he is traveling around
the country speaking about this book on talk shows?"
Carter has rejected the criticism of the book and its use
of the word apartheid.
"I feel completely at ease," said Carter, about his
commitment to the book, which accuses Israel of oppressing
Palestinians. "I am not running for office. And I have
Secret Service protection."
"The greatest commitment in my life has been trying to
bring peace to Israel," Carter told the Atlanta Press Club
last week.
"Israel will never have peace until they agree to withdraw
[from the territories]."
