By Matthew Bigg
ATLANTA (Reuters) - A new book by Jimmy Carter in which he compares Israel's treatment of Palestinians to South Africa's Apartheid system has sparked a bitter debate over the former U.S. president's reputation as a peacemaker.
Jewish groups have expressed outrage at the book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," arguing its comparison of Israel to the racist South African regime could undermine the perception of Israel's legitimacy.
Carter, 82, has been dogged by protests during a promotional tour and Ken Stein, a long-time advisor on Middle East issues who was also the first executive director at the Carter Center in Atlanta, resigned over the book's content. Read more here.
KB, this is a book I have really been interested in reading. I voted for Carter the first time back in the first grade. I was the only one, everyone else voted for Reagan. I voted for him because he had a kind face and I trusted his smile. I still feel this way, even if I don't always agree with his politics. He is a man who takes the underdog's side, but usually accounts for all sides in love, so I would be slow to jump on the media bandwagon here. Who knows. Once I read it, I'll post something on my blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks Missy. Good advice - I'll stay off the bandwagon until you read (and report) on the book :)
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