Russian version
What's the Matter With Jimmy?
- Информация о материале
- Автор: Jonathan Tobin
Jewish World Review
Dec. 7, 2006 / 16 Kislev, 5767
Coming to grips with the 39th president's malevolent obsession with
Israel
Only a few weeks ago, American Jews proved once again that they are,
next to African-Americans, the most loyal constituency that the Democratic
party can claim.
As the last few elections have illustrated, despite the efforts of
Republicans to highlight their support of Israel, as well as their foes'
shortcomings, the huge majorities Jews give the Democrats are only marginally
effected by such advocacy.
But the GOP never gives up, in part because they know that within their
living memory, there was one national election in which such appeals actually
did succeed.
The year was 1980, and in that pivotal contest Ronald Reagan achieved
nearly 40 percent of the Jewish vote. Like a sacred home-run record, the
number teases the Republicans engendering hopes that are dashed every time
they try to equal it.
But after all this time, during which the predicted swing to the Republicans
never happened, maybe we have been posing the wrong question about Reagan's
record. Instead of asking what prevents a repeat of 1980 for the Republicans,
we should instead be pondering what extraordinary catastrophe afflicted
Democrats in that one year?
The answer can be summed up in just two words: Jimmy Carter.
Despite presiding over a ceremony celebrating Israel's first peace
treaty with a neighboring Arab country, it was antipathy to the sage of
Plains, Ga., more than any passing affection for Reagan that determined
the Jewish vote in 1980. And there is little doubt that the widespread
perception of his hostility toward Israel was decisive in creating a Jewish
swing vote that has never been replicated in a national election. The Democrats'
magic formula for success since then is simple: Keep Carter off the ballot!
Rejected in his bid for re-election, Carter has been forced to settle
for the unofficial title of the most self-righteous man in America. Through
good deeds, such as his championing of causes like Habitat for Humanity,
and his relentless and often shameless pursuit of publicity on human rights
and democracy controversies around the globe, Carter won a Nobel Peace
Prize. This gives him a permanent platform from which to pontificate on
any and all subjects in his typically sanctimonious manner.
Yet though his interests may span the globe, there is one to which
he has returned over and over again: the Middle East and Israel's conflict
with the Arabs. And what he has been increasingly preaching lately is a
scathing indictment of Israel as an oppressive "apartheid" state.
The latest reminder of this pre-eminent theme of Carter's post-presidential
career is a new book titled Palestine Peace Not Apartheid, in which he
sets forth his thesis of Israeli perfidy.
While the titles of some books are misleading, Carter's is not. He
actually attempts to make a case that a democratic Israel, whose Jewish
majority has never been given a moment's peace from the day of its birth
58 years ago, is analogous to the oppressive white minority that ruled
South Africa.
It is a charge so preposterous, and so lacking in reason or sense,
that were this the work of any ordinary American it would not likely be
given a hearing outside of the fever swamps of the far right or left, where
anti-Zionist minorities dwell.
Instead, the book is being promoted on a national tour during which
the ex-president has been interviewed on virtually every major national
news program, and given a treatment that can only be described as presidential.
Indeed, on NBC's "Meet the Press" where the normally fair-minded Tim Russert
usually manages to put the leaders of both parties on the defensive, Carter's
slander of Jewish and non-Jewish Americans who love Israel as an all-powerful
"lobby" determined to squelch all dissent went unchallenged.
As for the content of the book, it's part memoir and part half-baked
history. As many reviewers have already noted (most notably, Alan Dershowitz
in the Forward), it is a collection of distortions, errata and falsehoods
that would fill a small volume itself.
They add up to an account that disregards Jewish rights to the land,
dismisses consistent Jewish acceptance of compromises, ignores a century
of Palestinian terrorism and mischaracterizes the persistent Arab rejection
of Jewish statehood. The conflict for him is one long account of Israeli
violence and Palestinian suffering. For him, the Jews can do virtually
no right and the Palestinians no wrong. Since Arab terror doesn't register
in Carter's brain, Israeli self-defense can be put down as "oppression."
This Orwellian compendium of slander aimed at Israel is punctuated
by accounts of Carter's own involvement in diplomacy and visits to the
area.
The book is revealing in one respect. For all of his supposed love
for humanity, it appears the Israelis are the one exception to his famous
religious goodwill. Though Carter praises the murderous Syrian dictator
Hafez Assad and Palestinian arch-terrorist (and fellow Nobel winner) Yasser
Arafat, he simply loathes almost every Israeli he meets. And he isn't shy
about noting instances in which they have committed the gravest of sins:
ignoring his advice.
For instance, he describes in detail a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister
Menachem Begin after Carter had left office. Forced by protocol to receive
the ex-president, Carter admits that he then subjected the Israeli (whom
he obviously despised) to a lecture about his shortcomings. Carter expected
Begin, who had been the victim of previous such lectures during the Georgian's
presidency, to debate him as he had in the past. Instead, the wily Israeli
simply listened politely, and then made it clear that the meeting was over.
Decades later, Begin's courteous dismissal of Carter's ill-informed tirade
apparently still stings.
A perplexed Dershowitz wonders what would lead "a decent man" to write
such a manifestly false book? While I'm not as convinced of Carter's decency
as Dershowitz, it's a good question that deserves more scrutiny than the
book itself.
I don't know the complete answer, but it is clear from his book that
the former president bitterly resents the Israelis lack of acceptance of
his ideas. Their stubborn refusal to sell their own survival short has
bred in him an anger that seems to grow with every passing year.
And perhaps he also harbors a grudge against American friends of Israel
whose votes helped sink his presidency. Indeed, Republicans still use Carter
as a symbol of Democratic perfidy, even though most mainstream Democrats
have disavowed his crusade against Israel. He remains a symbol of what
may happen should their party ever truly betray its Jewish supporters.
But what Israel's friends in both parties cannot afford to do is to
give him a pass for this latest outrage. No past good deeds or the intrinsic
respect we all hold anyone who has served as president should prevent us
from labeling him as the liar and hater that he has become.
© 2005, Jonathan Tobin
Russian version
Russian version
An introduction to MAOF
Haim Goldman
Haim Goldman
Dear Friends,
Would you believe that the undersigned has anything in common with
-- Professor Victor Davis Hanson (Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University),
-- Dr Charles Krauthammer, (Washington Post, Time, The Weekly Standard),
-- Caroline Glick (Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem Post),
-- Jonathan Tobin (Executive Editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent).
Amazingly, the editors of the MAOF website decided that the missives of the undersigned are worthy of translation and posting along the articles written by these distinguished authors.
The first letter was published without the consent of the undersigned.
However, after thorough examination of the laudable attitude of MAOF and of the excellent contents of the website, the undersigned had most graciously granted his permission for publication of his missives in both English and Russian.
“Analytical Group MAOF” [1] is an organisation founded about ten years ago by Russian-speaking Jewish intellectuals. The attitude of MAOF is definitely pro-Zionist -- unambiguously and unapologetically.
One of MAOF’s primary purposes is providing information and analysis about Middle-Eastern and world affairs as well as about Israel’s history, values and dilemmas. In addition to extensive publication activity in various media, MAOF also organises excursions and seminars. While the vast majority of the contents of the MAOF website is in Russian, texts originally written in English are provided in the original [2] as well as in Russian.
There are arguably about 250 millions of Russian-speakers worldwide and many of them do not read English. The indisputable motivation for the author’s permission was to grant those millions of disadvantaged people the grand benefit of reading the author’s ruminations. If the author is ever maliciously accused that his tacit motivation for authorising the publication was his craving to be listed along with the above-mentioned distinguished writers, his plea will definitely be “nolo contendere”.
The editors of MAOF expressed their gratitude by granting the undersigned a privilege that no other author got – the opportunity to review and correct the Russian translation before publication. The original letters of the undersigned are at [3] and their Russian version is at [4]. At of today, only two letters are posted but several other letters are pending translation.
You are kindly ENCOURAGED TO RECOMMEND the MAOF website to your friends and colleagues worldwide, particularly those who speak Russian. Those who do not enjoy the benefit of proficiency in the exquisite Russian language can find many thought-provoking and inspiring articles about Middle-Eastern and world affairs in the English section [2].
Sincerely,
Haim Goldman
28.10.2006
REFERENCES:
[1] http://maof.rjews.net
[2] section.php3? sid=37&num=25
[3] authorg.php3? id=2107&type=a
[4] authorg.php3? id=2166&type=a