Dror Etkes appreciates Carter
Photo: Erez Ehrlichman
Carter can't be fooled
Politicians shun ex-president because he's familiar with reality Israelis want to forget
The visit of former United States President Jimmy Carter in Israel was not as hectic as could have been expected. The prime minister and defense minister, both very busy people, did not find the time to meet with him.
On the other hand, President Shimon Peres, the former darling of the settlers, who backed the establishment of the first settlements in the 1970s, self-righteously reprimanded Carter. This marks no more than the ongoing refusal by most of Israeli society and leadership to look at the unflattering image in the mirror.
Opposition leader Netanyahu, who is not as busy these days to his regret and therefore has the time to appoint himself as the guardian of our national honor, said that he will not be meeting Carter because of his "anti-Israeli positions in recent years." It is uncertain whether Carter wanted to meet with Netanyahu, but the important thing is that our national honor was again spared a blow.
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Peres expects Carter to continue playing the fixed American-Israeli game whereby every time Israel embarks on a new settlement wave or surpasses the monthly quota of Palestinian casualties, the White House spokesman "expresses his concern" while making sure to show balance and to also address Palestinian terrorism.
Therefore, as befits anyone who does not make do with "expressing concern" over Israel's deeds, Carter is immediately suspected and convicted of "anti-Israeliness" tainted by anti-Semitism.
Yet Carter can't be fooled, as opposed to all sorts of "Israel friends" who arrive for hypocrisy-laden solidarity visits during which they must not insult their Israeli hosts, or heaven forbid, raise difficult questions regarding Israel's policy.
In 1976, when he was elected as president, only about 3,000 settlers resided in the territories. Today, with the number of settlers growing nearly a hundredfold and approaching 300,000, Carter continues to tour the West Bank with greater frequency than most local politicians. He realizes that a system that institutionalizes physical, political, and legal separation between different population groups residing in the same territory and gravely undermines the human rights of millions of Palestinians is a type of apartheid.
However, as opposed to other politicians whose political popularity hinges on donations or support by the Jewish-Christian lobby of "Israel friends" in the US, Carter is free of any need to be popular. He consistently and courageously raises the difficult questions stemming from Israel's policy vis-à-vis the Palestinians.
Current reality result of Israeli choices
One can agree or disagree with his diplomatic activism and meetings with the most murderous of Israel's enemies today, yet this man, who saw the Israeli settlement enterprise come to life, knows well what many Israelis (most of whom have no idea where the Green Line is) prefer to forget: The reality prevalent these days in the West Bank is not a given reality that was there since the world was created, but rather, the direct result of political choices made by all Israeli government over the past four decades.
It is interesting to note that Carter's aggressive rejection by Israel's political leadership comes in direct contradiction to the official ties between Israel and the US. The frequent visits of our prime ministers there are mostly meant for fundraising purposes and futile flattery known as "boosting our strategic ties," and create the impression that we have been engaged in a bloody conflict for 100 years now.
However, reality is of course a little different: Israel's governments who for generations refused to maintain genuine talks with the Palestinians on the future of the territories and settlements created a mass of facts on the ground that they have been unable to deal with for years now.
The negotiations that Israel was supposed to be holding with the Palestinians were mostly held with itself over those years, while agreeing to let the Americans join in as well on occasion. Unless all of this was grim, it could have been so funny. The Palestinians have always been required to remain silent and behave politely.
After 40 years, it would be good for us to understand that the position of "Israel's best friend" is part of the elements that serve to perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, rather than resolve it. People like Jimmy Carter who present both Israelis and Palestinians with the true choices available to them and the true implications of their deeds are those who contribute to the creation of a local political culture that is hinged on facts, rather than religious and nationalistic fantasy.
