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Last update - 10:28 15/04/2008
Our debt to Jimmy Carter
By Haaretz Editorial
Tags: Israel, Boycott, Jimmy Carter 

The government of Israel is boycotting Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, during his visit here this week. Ehud Olmert, who has not managed to achieve any peace agreement during his public life, and who even tried to undermine negotiations in the past, "could not find the time" to meet the American president who is a signatory to the peace agreement with Egypt. President Shimon Peres agreed to meet Carter, but made sure that he let it be known that he reprimanded his guest for wishing to meet with Khaled Meshal, as if the achievements of the Carter Center fall short of those of the Peres Center for Peace. Carter, who himself said he set out to achieve peace between Israel and Egypt from the day he assumed office, worked incessantly toward that goal and two years after becoming president succeeded - was declared persona non grata by Israel.

The boycott will not be remembered as a glorious moment in this government's history. Jimmy Carter has dedicated his life to humanitarian missions, to peace, to promoting democratic elections, and to better understanding between enemies throughout the world. Recently, he was involved in organizing the democratic elections in Nepal, following which a government will be set up that will include Maoist guerrillas who have laid down their arms. But Israelis have not liked him since he wrote the book "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid."

Israel is not ready for such comparisons, even though the situation begs it. It is doubtful whether it is possible to complain when an outside observer, especially a former U.S. president who is well versed in international affairs, sees in the system of separate roads for Jews and Arabs, the lack of freedom of movement, Israel's control over Palestinian lands and their confiscation, and especially the continued settlement activity, which contravenes all promises Israel made and signed, a matter that cannot be accepted. The interim political situation in the territories has crystallized into a kind of apartheid that has been ongoing for 40 years. In Europe there is talk of the establishment of a binational state in order to overcome this anomaly. In the peace agreement with Egypt, 30 years ago, Israel agreed to "full autonomy" for the occupied territories, not to settle there.
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These promises have been forgotten by Israel, but Carter remembers.

Whether Carter's approach to conflict resolution is considered by the Israeli government as appropriate or defeatist, no one can take away from the former U.S. president his international standing, nor the fact that he brought Israel and Egypt to a signed peace that has since held. Carter's method, which says that it is necessary to talk with every one, has still not proven to be any less successful than the method that calls for boycotts and air strikes. In terms of results, at the end of the day, Carter beats out any of those who ostracize him. For the peace agreement with Egypt, he deserves the respect reserved for royalty for the rest of his life.
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  1.   HE OPENS A NEW WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY 09:54  |  indrajaya 15/04/08
  2.   Talk 09:59  |  JW 15/04/08
  3.   Shut down Haaretz now 09:59  |  believer 15/04/08
  4.   Piecrust promises: what Israel does best (next to straight lies) 10:01  |  Clickfool 15/04/08
  5.   Has Israel (intentionally) endangered Carters security...???? 10:05  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/04/08
  6.   Haarez, what a disgrace 10:07  |  deborah 15/04/08
  7.   Carta is no where to be seen on Darfur to talk to everybody 10:15  |  Genuine Tosefta 15/04/08
  8.   Spite rules the day once again 10:16  |  Natallie Durson 15/04/08
  9.   THIS IS A NEW WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR MUSLIM RATS IN JAKARTA 10:17  |  Genuine Tosefta 15/04/08
  10.   time for carter to enter old age home 10:21  |  v hardman 15/04/08
  11.   Ha`aretz on Apartheid 10:30  |  Yitzhak Sokoloff 15/04/08
  12.   swiss (dino) and carter`s security 10:43  |  scallywag 15/04/08
  13.   Jimmy Carter. 10:52  |  elsie 15/04/08
  14.   Is`t a scene of obstinacy this Israel/Palestinian Conflict ? 10:53  |  Akram Zekaria 15/04/08
  15.   INDRAJAYA.WHY DON`T YOU ASK HIM TO VISIT PAPUA 10:57  |  PETER SM 15/04/08
  16.   Bravest Prez in Modern History 11:11  |  YesWeHaveNoBananas 15/04/08
  17.   a bullet for Jimmy and rest home for Peres 11:16  |  Harry R. 15/04/08
  18.   No debt to Jimmy Carter 11:19  |  Mordechai BenTzur 15/04/08
  19.   Reply to V. Hardman (Post No. 10) 11:19  |  Johnny Weintraub 15/04/08
  20.   DURSON Spite ?? Israel allows food & fuel to Gazans who target 11:27  |  PETER SM 15/04/08
  21.   YesWeHaveNoBananas.USA Sells the latest weapons to Saudis 11:32  |  PETER SM 15/04/08
  22.   Schizofrenics of "Haaretz",so air strikes in defence of Sderot 11:36  |  Absolute Sweden 15/04/08
  23.   # 12 scallywag 11:40  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/04/08
  24.   Israeli officials will be shunned & ostracized in the end 11:40  |  Dutch 15/04/08
  25.   Something ugly in Israel 11:44  |  Marilyn 15/04/08
  26.   Haaretz, ... 11:46  |  zeev 15/04/08
  27.   # 5, SWISS (DINO) 11:46  |  Indrajaya 15/04/08
  28.   DINO Have you (deliberately )switched your brain off 11:46  |  PETER SM 15/04/08
  29.   That spiteful so and so in # 8 11:48  |  Raymond 15/04/08
  30.   A state that does not wish to live in peace .. 11:53  |  Dutch 15/04/08
  31.   swiss (dino) #23 11:58  |  scallywag 15/04/08
  32.   CFOOL. Full autonomy required full cessation of Pal. terror 11:59  |  PETER SM 15/04/08
  33.   Carter, Haaretz editors and Neville Chamberlain 12:01  |  Proud Israeli 15/04/08
  34.   US CONGRESS SHOULD INVITE HIM TO TESTIFY 12:01  |  indrajaya 15/04/08
  35.   "Royal Treatment"? Try Louis XVI!!! 12:03  |  dyinglikeflies 15/04/08
  36.   Lack of vision 12:13  |  Coldstream 15/04/08
  37.   WHERE ARE THE HAARETZ CENSORS TODAY?? 12:15  |  Kol ha-Nevi`im 15/04/08
  38.   INDRAJAYA"US CONGRESS SHOULD INVITE HIM TO TESTIFY" After Papua!! 12:16  |  PETER SM 15/04/08
  39.   ISRAEL IS NOT KINDERGARDEN, LETS KNOCK THE DOOR SERIOUS 12:16  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 15/04/08
  40.   MARYLIN for a person who quotes Pappe as factual 12:20  |  PETER SM 15/04/08
  41.   I have lost all respect for Haaretz 12:21  |  aj 15/04/08
  42.   FOOL @ #4 12:23  |  Ari ben Yisrael 15/04/08
  43.   Congrtulations to ... 12:25  |  Edith 15/04/08
  44.   THIS IS A POLITIC IMMORAL. OLMERT AND BIBI HAND IN HAND ??? 12:26  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 15/04/08
  45.   this is one of the most disappointing ha`aretz editorials... 12:27  |  saul a. readner 15/04/08
  46.   The Carter Rationale 12:30  |  Mr Ipp 15/04/08
  47.   Ignorant Indy`s Ghost Writer at it again #1 12:31  |  Ari ben Yisrael 15/04/08
  48.   a lady in sex business for years 12:31  |  ... 15/04/08
  49.   LETS BE DIRECT ! NO ISRAELI RECPECT HIS SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIANS 12:37  |  ... 15/04/08
  50.   I WONDER IF MR. CARTER HAS JEWISH ROOTS ? 12:46  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 15/04/08
  51.   #33 Proud Israeli, you would do well to recall 12:48  |  Dutch 15/04/08
  52.   Israel Has Only Brought Further Shame Upon Itself 12:55  |  Johan Odin 15/04/08
  53.   ·31 scallywag. Re yr post to Dino. Youre wrong. 12:55  |  Stephen. 15/04/08
  54.   dutch 12:56  |  saul a. readner 15/04/08
  55.   What makes Carter tick 12:58  |  Californian 15/04/08
  56.   # 27 Indrajaya, don`t worry, If Israel doesn`t wanna protect..... 12:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/04/08
  57.   carter kisses Hamas a*ss 13:02  |  anon 15/04/08
  58.   stephen - when exactly was this? 13:03  |  scallywag 15/04/08
  59.   #50 - Atilla Karagözoğlu - Carter is a humanitarian, not a Jew 13:04  |  Outraged Human Being 15/04/08
  60.   ODIN.Carter himself refused to talk to the PLO as President 13:06  |  PETER SM 15/04/08
  61.   ODIN.Carter himself refused to talk to the PLO as President 13:06  |  PETER SM 15/04/08
  62.   # 31 scallywag 13:10  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/04/08
  63.   To Dutch #51 13:18  |  Proud Israeli 15/04/08
  64.   Why Not Talk to Hamas? 13:25  |  Ronnie Wolman 15/04/08
  65.   Carter - a giant amongst pygmies 13:27  |  Sylvie 15/04/08
  66.   Bravo, Haaretz !!! 13:28  |  Pal4peace 15/04/08
  67.   swiss (dino) - sorry, that`s not an answer to my question 13:28  |  scallywag 15/04/08
  68.   Title: WHERE ARE THE HAARETZ CENSORS TODAY?? 13:34  |  hanif manjoo 15/04/08
  69.   Good luck, Jimmy Carter 13:44  |  Ben Alofs 15/04/08
  70.   # 64 Ronnie Wolman, coming out of the blue........ 13:48  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/04/08
  71.   carter dosn`t know the meaning of justice 13:58  |  anon 15/04/08