‘AIPAC Is Not Dedicated to Peace’: When Jimmy Carter Exposed Israel Lobby Group
Former US President Jimmy Carter was one of the most outspoken critics of Israel policies towards Palestinians and traditional US foreign policy in the region.
The Big Picture: During an interview with “Democracy Now!” in 2007, Carter took on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) – one of the largest American pro-Israel lobbying groups.
Apartheid in Palestine
The Deep Dive: In this interview, the former president revealed the reasons that drove him to write his book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” in which he accused Israel of pursuing racist policies against the Palestinians.
What He Said: “Americans don’t want to know and many Israelis don’t want to know what is going on inside Palestine. It’s a terrible human rights persecution that far transcends what any outsider would imagine.” – Former US President Jimmy Carter, about the situation in Palestine.
Backstory: In 2006, Carter released his book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” which drew on his longtime involvement in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He argued that Israel’s continued occupation and construction of settlements in the West Bank have been among the main obstacles to peace. Moreover, he accused Israel of establishing an apartheid regime in the occupied Palestinian territories, advocating for an independent and sovereign state for the Palestinians.
The Powerful Lobby
Between the Lines: During the interview, Carter accused “powerful political forces in America” of deliberately preventing politicians from objectively analyzing the issue as a “taboo” subject. “I think it’s accurate to say that not a single member of Congress with whom I’m familiar would possibly speak out and call for Israel to withdraw to their legal boundaries or to publicize the plight of the Palestinians or even to call publicly and repeatedly for good faith peace talks,” the former president said.
The Impact: He suggested that members of Congress would face severe political consequences or lose reelection if they publicly criticized Israeli policies. “And I would say that if any member of Congress did speak out, as I’ve just described, they would probably not be back in the Congress the next term,” he added.
State of Play: Carter explained that Americans have an inherent commitment to supporting Israel’s continued existence in peace, backed by the work of the AIPAC to convince Americans to support the policies of the Israeli government. However, he noted that “AIPAC is not dedicated to peace.”
“They’re dedicated to inducing the maximum support in America, in the White House, in the Congress and in the public media, for whatever policies the Israeli government has at a particular time. And they’re extremely effective,” he said.
