JCRC RESPONSE TO JIMMY CARTER BOOK “PALESTINE PEACE, NOT APARTHEID”

In his new book,  Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid, President Jimmy Carter charges that Israel’s current policies in the West Bank constitute “a system of apartheid, with two peoples occupying the same land but completely separated from each other, with Israelis totally dominant and suppressing violence by depriving Palestinians of their basic human rights.” He argues that Israel’s settlement policy is principally to blame for the failure of peace initiatives in the Middle East.

Branding Israel an apartheid state is emotional propaganda. It is calculated to demonize Israel  in order to win greater sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians over that of the Israelis.  It is a gross distortion that ignores Israel’s democratic values and long-standing efforts for peace.

Israeli citizens struggle with prejudices amongst its many minorities, just as all multi-racial, multi-ethnic democracies do, but Israel’s laws try to eradicate – not endorse – prejudices. The Palestinian Authority, not the Israeli government, governs the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Like many Arab nations, the PA does not offer equal rights and protections to its inhabitants.

 Israel is a diverse nation

• Israel has the only growing Christian population in the Middle East and is home to an Islamic political party.
• In 1984 and 1991, Israel airlifted a total of 22,000 Ethiopian Jews at risk in Ethiopia to safety in Israel.
• About 20% of Israelis are Arab.
• More than 50% of Israeli Jews are indigenous to the Middle East and Northern Africa.
• Israel is the spiritual center of the Bahá’í faith, which sought refuge from Islamic persecution in Iran.

 Israel wants peace

• When Israel has a partner for peace, Israel makes peace. Israel gave up the oil-rich Sinai Peninsula to make peace with Egypt and also gave up land to make peace with Jordan.
• In 2000, Israel was prepared to give the Palestinians 95% of the West Bank and all of Gaza, plus East Jerusalem for a Palestinian state in exchange for peace and security. The offer was rejected with violence.
• In 2005, Israel left the Gaza Strip and turned it over entirely to the Palestinians.
• Israel requires only three things of the Hamas-led Palestinian government:
  • Accept Israel’s right to exist
  • Denounce and stop terrorism
  • Recognize previously signed treaties

Israel is a Democracy

• Jews are a majority in Israel, but the Arab minority are full citizens with voting rights and representation in the government.
• There are eight Arab members of the Knesset and an Arab judge on the Israeli Supreme Court.
• All citizens of Israel have absolute freedom of movement.
• Polls show that if there was an independent Palestinian state, most Israeli Arabs would prefer to remain in Israel.
• All Israelis enjoy freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
• Israelis of all ethnicities and religions can legally live in any public city within Israel.
• Public facilities are fully integrated. Arab Israelis attend Israel’s top universities and are among the most educated people in the Middle East.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza

• The situation of Palestinians in the territories—won by Israel in a defensive war forced upon it by its neighbors—is different. The security requirements of the nation, and a violent insurrection in the territories, have forced Israel to impose restrictions on Arab residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip that are not necessary inside Israel’s pre-1967 borders.
• Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza are not Israeli citizens. They elect their own government, the Palestinian Authority, which makes laws and has international recognition.
• Palestinian terrorists have sought to eliminate Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, through war and terrorism. Hamas, currently in control of the government, explicitly calls for the destruction of Israel and carries out terrorist acts.

Apartheid South Africa

• White minority population controlled government and oppressed black majority. Lawmakers segregated blacks and deprived them of equal rights and opportunities.
• Blacks excluded from central government and denied right to vote in national elections.
• Restricted movement—blacks could enter white areas only with special permits.
• Strictly segregated residential communities. Blacks forced into impoverished regions.
• Separate and inferior public facilities for non-whites, including buses, trains, parks, beaches, libraries, hospitals and schools. Quality universities restricted to whites only.
• Racist legal system with harsher penalties for blacks.

To label Israel and “apartheid state” is manipulative and untrue, and insults millions of Black South Africans who suffered under a true Apartheid regime.

Volunteers

Israel Needs Your Help Now!

A terror war is striking into the heart of Israel. For the first time ever, Haifa and Tiberias have been hit by Hezbollah rockets fired from the Lebanese border. Three Israeli soldiers are being held captive and many Israeli families are forced to hide in bomb shelters.

Since Israel’s founding nearly 60 years ago, our community has always done everything in its power to support Israel.  And today, Israel needs us more than ever.

We all can help. Make the commitment today to volunteer in at least one way for Israel.

There are many ways to get involved and make a difference. Our community needs volunteers to:

• Write letters to the media
• Monitor Minnesota media
• Monitor anti-Israel events
• Prepare pro-Israel materials
• Distribute materials to the JCC's and synagogues
• Advocate to your elected representatives to support Israel by visiting the JCRC Legislative Action Center
• Organize pro-Israel events
• Speak about Israel in the community

If you would like to get involved now, contact Julie@MinnDakJCRC.org or (612) 338-7816