In this book Jimmy Carter throws spotlight on the enmity between Israel and Palestine.One of Jimmy Carter’s lifelong goals
has been to find a way to
create a peaceful solution to the conflict between Israel and
Palestine. Carter has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East,
spoken with political leaders and ordinary citizens, and studied the
underlying issues and concerns of Israel, Palestine, and the other Arab
nations that neighbor both countries. In Palestine Peace Not
Apartheid,
Carter explores the history of this volatile conflict, explains past
attempts at peace, and suggests measures that need to be taken in order
for any peace plan to succeed. Carter’s first trip to Israel was at the invitation of Yitzhak
Rabin during his term as Governor of Georgia. After his first visit,
Carter thought that Israel should leave the territories they occupied
at the time in the interest of peace. As Carter became more involved
with the key players in the conflict, he began to see that the solution
to the conflict is much more complicated than simply turning over land.
Throughout the years, many attempts have been made to negotiate
an agreement between Israeli leaders and the Palestinians. One of the
most notable attempts was one spearheaded by Carter during his
presidency. Carter brought Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat together at
Camp David for a twelve day summit. Carter worked with both leaders in
order to create the Camp David Accords. However, these Accords are
violated and abandoned a few years later. The presence of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
has also complicated matters. Many of the actions taken by this
organization have been seen as terrorist acts by Israel and other
countries worldwide. These acts have continued because the people
committing these acts are seen as martyrs and glorified by the
Palestinian people. Because of this, the actions have continued, and at
some points, intensified. A recent threat to the peace process is the existence of a
wall encircling the Palestinian people, segregating the Palestinians
from the Israelis. Many world leaders see the existence of this wall as
a form of apartheid, and the United Nations has called the existence of
this wall unlawful. One of the main reasons the wall has been
constructed is because it allows Israel to claim land that had been
previously held by Palestine. The United Nations has demanded that the
wall be removed and that Israel should compensate the Palestinians that
have been negatively impacted by the construction of the wall. Carter
believes that no steps toward peace can be made until this wall has
been removed. Carter’s book does an excellent job explaining a very
complicated and controversial history. Carter provides a timeline in
the beginning of the book to help readers understand the significance
and impact of past events. He also describes the conditions that must
be met in order to create a successful, long-term peace plan. Carter’s unique position allows the reader a different perspective than other books on the topic. Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid
presents the history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine from
the perspective of a leader who continues to work in order to reach an
acceptable middle ground.