Jimmy Carter's Apology to Israel Gets Mixed Reaction

Former President Jimmy Carter isn't getting rave reviews and praise for his recent apology to Israel. It seems a little hollow, at best, considering that he has been accused in recent years, of bias against Israel, starting with his book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," which was published in 2006. The book caused a dust-up in Israel and in the Jewish community in the United States. He has been accused of blaming Israel for the constant unrest in the Middle East. I had to ponder why he apologized at this time. Is there more to this than mending political fences? It is widely known that his grandson, Jason Carter, 34, has indicated that he may seek a Georgia State Senate seat in a district that has many Jewish voters.

According to media reports, he sent a letter to JTA, a wire service for Jewish newspapers, which is being called his "Al Het," which is a Hebrew plea for forgiveness. Carter's letter says, in part, "We must not permit criticisms for improvement to stigmatize Israel...I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so." "We're happy that he issued that statement," says Bill Nigut, Southeast Director of the Anti-Defamation League, "it's a hopeful sign."

But Nigut told 11 Alive News on Thursday that the former President still has a long way to go to be believed. "One statement is the beginning of a process," Nigut continued, "What's the next step? In what ways will Jimmy Carter continue to speak out in a more balanced way about the State of Israel's right to exist? That's what we'll wait to see." Source: 11 Alive News

We'll just have to wait and see how this apology is digested and studied to see if it ease the tensions between Jimmy Carter and Israel.

Posted in: Al Het,apology,Israel,Jason Carter,Jimmy Carter,Middle East