Remember James Naughtie’s disgraceful interview with the Israeli Ambassador Ron Proser on Today 22nd December? I commented that Naughtie seemed unaware of ex President Jimmy Carter’s reputation as the most anti Israel US President ever.
To further a point, Naughtie produced one of Mr. Carter’s notoriously disparaging statements, saying:
“I take it you don’t regard him [Carter] as somebody who is anti-Israel in his bones!”
“Does Naughtie know nothing about this subject?” I wondered.
Well, it’s high time someone tells Naughtie all about it if he doesn’t know already, because now Jimmeh is offering a kind of apology, which, of course, is a tacit admission of guilt.
People are speculating as to whether it’s because his grandson is running for office in an area with Jewish voters, or for some other reason.
The peanut president has written an open letter to the Jewish community, and concludes:
” we must not permit criticisms for improvement to stigmatize Israel. As I would have noted at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but which is appropriate at any time of the year, I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so.“
In Hebrew ‘Al Het’ means plea for forgiveness.
This apology by Carter speaks directly to the heart of the main argument some of us have with critics of Israel who comment here. Carter says that “we must not permit criticisms for improvement to stigmatize Israel”. The problem with his statment is that he, along with so many other critics of Israel, actually intend for their criticisms to stigmatize Israel. That’s why they use the language they do: apartheid, genocide, disproportionate use of force, siege, etc.
Carter used the word “apartheid” in the title of his book about Israel and the Palestinians. This choice was deliberate, with the intent to stigmatize. South Africa was stigmatized by the use of this term, and it’s simply false to claim that anyone choosing to use this term now isn’t attempting to stigmatize Israel.
Israel critics who like to scold us that we unfairly claim you want Israel to be destroyed would do well to remember that the government labeled as “Apartheid” in South Africa no longer exists, and that this was the goal of critics and boycotters. And by “government”, I don’t mean just the party in charge. The whole system is gone, with one race of people placed in charge. That’s also the goal of most critics of Israel.
Anyone who uses the term “apartheid” to describe Israel desires a similar outcome, and there’s really no point in denying that. So Carter’s apology smacks of self-denial, and all BBC reports about Israel which use stigmatizing language should be called out for what they are.
Yes David P, and can you believe that Naughtie didn’t know about Jimmy Carter’s damaging utterances about Israel? Or that none of the BBC researchers knew, even though they must have done some preparation for the interview with Ron Proser if only to have unearthed that Carter quote to throw at him? I always wonder whether malevolence or ignorance is responsible for this, neither one would be much of a credit to the BBC, but I’m still curious.
Of course they all knew. The BBC has reported every one of Carter’s utterances critical of Israel. Now, I do realize that even BBC News is a vast array of fiefdoms, and that it’s a rare occasion for one Beeboid to email another one in a different department to ask a question for verification purposes. And gosh, Today is a current affairs programme, and one cannot possibly expect them to make the effort for due diligence that a weekly magazine or whatever has the time to do.
But they all know perfectly well what Carter said, as well as all similar criticisms of Israel. They know what they are saying. They know what it means. Their emotionally-driven bias prevents them from realizing what they are doing.
Yes, Naughtie and co couldn’t be unaware of Carter’s association with Arab funds and of his pro-Arab anti-Israel position. They just don’t see this as intentionally hostile to Israel, merely impartial and truthful.
Even so, how does that explain “Surely you don’t regard him as somebody who is anti Israel in his bones?”
Even if Naughtie really thinks that, he must know that Carter would be regarded by the Israeli Ambassador – and anybody else who supports Israel – as somebody who is very definitely anti Israel, in his bones and indeed in any other part of his anatomy.
So that remark was purely designed to provoke and antagonise, which is why I found it so unpleasant. Ron Proser had enough sense not to take the bait, too.
Saudi-funded Jew-hater Carter has spent long enough with the Palestinians he loves to become adept at Taqiyya.
The fact that al-Beeb still remains credulous when it comes to the World’s Worst US President, Ever™, however, says far more about them than it does Jimmah.
The BBC hasn’t covered the apology. Should it have?
If it did I wonder what their analysis would be because Carter said some interesting things that won’t endear himself with Hamas or Fatah.
In order of writing but not necessarily of importance. The time of Chanukah and the Christian holidays presents an occasion for reflection on the past and for looking to the future. Traditionally Chanukah is the festival celebrating the Israelite ‘military‘ victory over foreign oppressors who sought to force ‘religious’ changes on the Jews in Aretz Israel (the land of Israel) particularly in the Temple in Jerusalem. Modern Jews draw parallels with the State of Israel’s struggle with the Arabs. The PLO has often denied that Jews have any historical claims and the last thing they want is for Carter to remind them.
… prayer that the State of Israel will flourish as a Jewish state Abbas refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish State even as part of a peace agreement. His formula is to recognize Israel as a state of all its peoples with a right of return for Palestinians leading to an Arab majority. Hamas refuses to recognize Israel under any circumstances and threatens genocide of the Jews.
State of Israel as a light unto the nations. Another reference to the Jewishness of Israel.
We must recognize Israel’s achievements under difficult circumstances … What no recognition of the Palestinians right to resistance?
The last statement – the ‘non-apology‘ has been extensively covered. I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so. Not an apology for what he has done but for what some other people may have misunderstood as a libel against Israel when they were really constructive criticism.
Mr. Carter your allies from Hamas and Fatah want to stigmatize Israel and won’t be happy with you for pretending that’s not what you are doing.