President Carter, who was able to negotiate peace between
Israel and Egypt, has remained deeply involved in Middle
East affairs since leaving the White House. He has stayed in
touch with the major players from all sides in the conflict
and has made numerous trips to the Holy Land, most recently
as an observer in the Palestinian elections of 2005 and
2006.
In this book President Carter shares his
intimate knowledge of the history of the Middle East and his
personal experiences with the principal actors, and he
addresses sensitive political issues many American officials
avoid. Pulling no punches, Carter prescribes steps that must
be taken for the two states to share the Holy Land without a
system of apartheid or the constant fear of
terrorism.
The general parameters of a
long-term, two-state agreement are well known, the president
writes. There will be no substantive and permanent peace for
any peoples in this troubled region as long as Israel is
violating key U.N. resolutions, official American policy,
and the international "road map" for peace by occupying Arab
lands and oppressing the Palestinians. Except for mutually
agreeable negotiated modifications, Israel's official
pre-1967 borders must be honored. As were all previous
administrations since the founding of Israel, U.S.
government leaders must be in the forefront of achieving
this long-delayed goal of a just agreement that both sides
can honor.
Palestine Peace Not Apartheid
is a challenging, provocative, and courageous book.