Roberts actually began with what amounted to a DNC disclaimer:
"Now to your book, which many people find surprising, that you come down a little hard on Israel and that there have been key Democrats who have distanced themselves a little bit from your view on Israel. In fact, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi [jumping the gun there just a tad, Robin] said it is wrong to suggest that the Jewish people would support a government in Israel or anywhere else that institutionizes ethnically-based oppression and Democrats reject that allegation vigorously. What is your response to that?"
Carter replied by claiming that he has spent the last 30 years trying to find peace for Israel and its neighbors, but adding "you can't find peace unless you address the existing issues honestly and frankly." Translation: it's all Israel's fault.
Carter then patted himself on the back: "I think the most important step toward peace for Israel was when I negotiated a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt in 1979."
Carter then went off on this Israel-bashing spree:
"There is no doubt now that a minority of Israelis are perpetrating apartheid on the people in Palestine. This occupation and confiscation and colonization of land on the West Bank is the prime cause of the continuation of violence in the Middle East."
Really! So Sunni is slaughtering Shia in Iraq over Israel's intransigence? Who knew? And not a word from Carter about the Camp David meeting at which Israeli PM Barak offered Arafat 97% of the land he had demanded. Not only did Arafat refuse the offer, he didn't even deign to make a counter-proposal.
Continued Carter:
"What is being done to the Palestinians under Israeli domination is really atrocious. It's a terrible affliction on these people."
Timidly and haltingly, Roberts did try to respond: "Some would say by electing Hamas, the Palestinians are in effect, kind of, the reason why there is a sumbling block for peace."
The vainglorious Carter: "I was there and the Carter Center was in charge of the election. . . And there hasn't been one day of substantive negotiations between Israel and her neighbors in the last six years. So you can't say that the election of Hamas interfered with any sort of peace effort because no peace effort has been going on. And the prime choice by the United States and Israel of an interlocutor that was known as a voice of moderation, that is, Abbas, was chosen as prime minister when Arafat was there and for three years he was not called upon to negotiate and then when he became president he still hasn't been called upon to negotiate. So there is no effort being made in the Middle East at all to bring about an accommodation between Israel and the Palestinians."
Translation: repeat after me - it's all Israel's fault.
That's when Roberts caved, with this fawning goodbye: "President Carter, always optimistic, and your book reflects that. I know the Carter Foundation, you are trying to find world peace and this book is part of that."
Right. If your definition of peace is the elimination of a viable Israel.
Finkelstein recently returned from Iraq. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net
