Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, by Jimmy Carter (2006)

The former president, who has been engaged in Middle East politics for nearly 35 years, casts a spotlight on the ongoing conflict between Israel and her neighboring states. While Carter acknowledges that there has been tension in this region since the beginning of recorded history, he ties most of the current conflict to the 1967 Six-Days War and its aftermath.

It was this round of hostilities that resulted in Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights, the West Bank and other territories. Carter turns repeatedly to U.N. Resolution 242, passed six months after the Six-Day War, which calls for the “withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict.”

The same resolution calls for “termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty… of every State in the area and their right to live in peace…” In other words, it asserts the right of Israel to exist. But Carter cites what are, in his view, numerous Israeli violations of Resolution 242 and subsequent decrees. The end results of these actions have been to geographically and economically isolate the Palestinian people, and to stall the peace process. At the same time, Israeli civilians have continued to settle in occupied lands, which has further fanned the flames of hatred and distrust between the two sides.

The former president describes the multi-pronged offensive Israel has waged against her neighbors as often excessive. With American military backing and the U.S.’ permanent presence on the U.N. Security Council, Carter challenges Americans who have tended to look the other way when Israel ignored international agreements. While the view of Israel as a Goliath in this sensitive region is more common in Europe and much of the Middle East, it’s clear that a number of American critics took issue with this charge by the former president.

Whether or not one agrees with the author’s conclusions, Carter’s short book is an excellent brief history of the conflict in the region and should be required reading for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of this troubled land. Highly recommended.