A fine American. An example to be followed, not pissed upon like Trumps.
‘Universal silence’ on Israel
Carter’s post-presidential legacy has largely stood out due to his willingness to break from political establishment norms in the US.
In 2006, he became the rare political figure – let alone a former president – to question Israel’s policies in occupied Palestinian territory.
He condemned “almost a universal silence concerning anything that might be critical of current policies of the Israeli government”.
He also described the system of control in the occupied territory as “apartheid”, a stance that has since been adopted by some human rights organisations.
In 2009, he said that Palestinians in Gaza were “treated more like animals than human beings”.
His position helped to pave the way for criticism of Israeli policies within mainstream US politics, despite deeply entrenched support for Washington’s “ironclad” ally among the US political class.
His words also helped to lay the groundwork for the growing number of US lawmakers who have called on the administration of President Joe Biden to stop the transfer of weapons to Israel amid the war in Gaza, in which more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023.
Carter served only one term but built lasting legacy of promoting human rights, including through criticism of Israel.
www.aljazeera.com