The Palestinian/Israeli conflict has been an issue in today’s world for almost a quarter of a century with it to seemingly intensify, never finding a resolution. The conflict itself is not only a battle of borders but also a battle of faiths. Their differences in faiths are one of the basic causes of each other’s antagonism.

Former President Jimmy Carter recently wrote a book called Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid that has been on the bestseller’s list since its release and raised a slew of controversy amongst the Jewish community in America and across the globe because of its particular criticism towards Israel. He does site failures of all sides including Palestine and the U.S, but he is being criticized for his biasness towards the Palestinians by comparing Israel’s policies in the Palestinian territories to the former policies of apartheid in South Africa. Pro-Israel groups complain that Carter’s facts are skewed, misguided, and wrong and that it is one-sided against Israel. One Carter Foundation member resigned in protest to his book. Jewish organizations across American have received letters of complaint and signed petitions rebuking Carter for bias. Other committee members, founders of Jewish organizations, lawmakers, and former advisors to Carter believe he has overstepped his boundaries as a former U.S President and condemn his earning of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.

The former President acknowledges the controversy of his book and welcomes it. He realized when he chose the title it would be provocative in hopes it would provoke debate and revive peace talks that have been at a stand still for six years. He wants the United States to look at the facts about Palestine and have an honest and open debate to find some resolve to the situation instead of continuing on the stubborn and ignorant path all sides have decided to follow.

The book traces the ups and downs of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process beginning with Carter’s 1977-1980 presidency and continuing to the present. It is proportionately blameful to Israel, Palestine and the U.S for the failure of decades of peace efforts. It is sharply critical of Israeli policy and their continuing control and colonization of Palestinian land. He believes apartheid is an appropriate term for Israeli policies that are devoted to the acquisition of land in Palestinian territories through Jewish settlements and use of Palestinian land to erect a separating wall. Being a humanitarian, he believes what Israel is doing with their occupation of the West Bank, by inhibiting the lives of Palestinians with checkpoints, restricted roads, curfews, closures, land confiscations and closed military zones, have deprived Palestinians of their basic human rights. He views Palestinians in the West Bank as receiving the treatment of second-hand citizens. Carter notes that Israel has built separate roads for Jewish settlers and Palestinians, built separate school systems, have totally different allocations of money, water, food and security for each population and privileging Jewish settlers while discriminating against Palestinians whose families have lived there for centuries.

A rabbi and editor of Tikkun magazine is in agreement with Carter and believes his book is full of factual information that the American media does not portray to the American people. He believes that Israel is ignoring the ongoing suffering that constitutes collective punishment for the entire population of Palestine when Israel cuts off food and funds, and allows tens of thousands of people in the occupied territories to suffer from malnutrition. He also believes that Carter is not claiming Israel as an apartheid state. He is claiming that the West Bank will become an apartheid situation if Israel’s policies continue to separate Palestinians and Israelis. He believes it is constituted by the continuing construction of the wall, the passing of discriminating legislation and the presence of racism in the leadership such as pro-ethnic cleanser Israeli Cabinet member Arigdor Lieberman. He agrees with the books hope to create a new openness to criticism and new debate and to end the stagnation of peace talks.

Former President Carter is known as a peacemaker and is making an attempt to get American focused on Palestine again. He acknowledges the fact that the American people have a lot of power in terms of affecting our government policy and understands that that is one of the great freedoms of American democracy. He also knows that the U.S has a great deal of effect on both Israelis and Palestinians and is attempting, through his book, to give people the understanding and knowledge so that they can make a decision for themselves, and to not be ignorant of the conflict.

The conflict is a conflict of faiths that led to a conflict of land appropriation which led to fighting, where each side knew how to provoke each other, which led to terrorist attacks and suicide bombings. The only way to a peace accord is through international recognition and a resumption of peace talks until a resolve is met. Jimmy Carters’ book is an attempt to create dialogue again at the very basic level and provide acknowledgement of the rights and wrongs on both sides of the situation.