Carter Center advisers resign over Jimmy's new book

[Human Snorenado]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/11/carter.resignations/index.html

Oops, hit enter too quickly. 

The 14 explained their concerns, which reflect an uproar in the U.S. Jewish community over Carter's Mideast stance, in separate letters sent Thursday to fellow Board of Councilors members and Carter.

"We can no longer endorse your strident and uncompromising position," the letter to Carter said. "This is not the Carter Center or the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support."

The letter to the fellow Board of Councilors, with more than 200 members, was brief and less detailed but expressed concern about Carter's book "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid."

"We are deeply troubled by the president's comments and writings and are submitting the following letter of resignation to the Carter Center," the letter said.

The letters were signed by Alan Abrams, Steve Berman, Michael Coles, Jon Golden, Doug Hertz, Barbara Babbit Kaufman, Liane Levetan, Jeff Levy, Leon Novak, Ambassador William B. Schwartz Jr., William B. Schwartz III, Steve Selig, Cathey Steinberg, and Gail Solomon.

Wow, I wonder why those people signed that letter.  I wonder if they had any, you know, reason to...

[Phoenix Dark]

When I left you I was the opressed. Now I am the Nazi

[Van Cruncheon]

gee, 'bout time someone said we should leave Israel to its own devices

WHAT

OMG

[Human Snorenado]

The shit that Israel gets away with over there is absurd.  The level of knowledge amongst most Americans is really, really low over what goes on over there.  It's absurd that American Jews, who for the most part haven't been over there and probably don't know what's going on, will blindly defend the shit that Israel is doing.  Well, absurd but not surprising.  View middle America's lack of interest and knowledge re: what we've been doing for years around the world.  Sigh.

[Flannel Boy]

Being intelligent these Jews can see that the title of the book presents a false dilemma between a strawman and an impossibility.

[Loki]

gee, 'bout time someone said we should leave Israel to its own devices

qft

Our "relationship" with Israel provides us with absolutely no benefit and much risk and cost.  I'd cut ties with them immediately in terms of aid.  Then again, I'm pretty much an isolationist in general -- it just so happens that they're the biggest beneficiary of our largesse.  And it's caused us a lot of headaches over the years.  They also actively spy on us to a degree that none of our other allies do (yes, they all spy, but not to that degree).

[Flannel Boy]

Their GDP is at $150 billion so I think they'd more than survive without America's 3 billion in aid.

[Diablos]

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[Human Snorenado]

Their GDP is at $150 billion so I think they'd more than survive without America's 3 billion in aid.

What about without our big fucking military stick backing them up?

Sorry, malek, I don't want to be a dick but I'm going to have to ask:  are you Jewish?

[brawndolicious]

http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/msg07481.html

I would recommend that everybody watch this.  Agreeing with some Israelis is not bad, but supporting the country is not right.

Malek is not Jewish.

[Van Cruncheon]

sez Mustafa al-Muppet. The only reason you know Malek isn't a Jew is because you haven't tried to kill him yet

[Flannel Boy]

Their GDP is at $150 billion so I think they'd more than survive without America's 3 billion in aid.

What about without our big fucking military stick backing them up?

Sorry, malek, I don't want to be a dick but I'm going to have to ask:  are you Jewish?

Can you characterize the military support as aid when both administrations often seem to have similar goals in the region.

No I'm not Jewish and have no Jewish ancestry that I'm aware of.
Both my parents are very anti-Semitic.

[brawndolicious]

sez Mustafa al-Muppet. The only reason you know Malek isn't a Jew is because you haven't tried to kill him yet

I think I called him Jewish once and he said he wasn't.

[MrAngryFace]

israel took the place in 3 days, if they cant hold it on their own wtf. America is just covering its ass for the apocalypse.

[Loki]

What's funny is that I recall reading somewhere that Carter has been blackballed at speaking engagements all over the country since releasing this book.  Apparently that's not enough, and these folks now feel compelled to issue a public condemnation.  At least they didn't call him an anti-semite, though I suppose it's only a matter of time unless he recants and plays nice.  Or perhaps he'll be marginalized just enough to become irrelevant.  I honestly couldn't believe it when I heard that a former US president was getting the cold shoulder from various universities etc. where he was scheduled to give lectures.  Sad.  I wish I could remember where I read it -- it was a few weeks ago.  Apparently that's what you get for <gasp!> putting America's interests before Israel's (I mean, the temerity!).

[Mandark]

The Israel lobby really has stuff locked down.  I don't think the country's going to get a good debate on this any time soon, since it's so tied to ethnic and religious identity.  Which is too bad, because it's as silly as US policy towards Cuba.

Is there a history of foreign policy decisions being dominated by ethnic/national diasporas?  Was that how the China Lobby worked?  I need some historical perspective; Boogie, get in here.

[Cheebs]

I agree with Carter. Carter was a bad president but man is he one badass of an ex-president.