Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Dennis Ross gets to the heart of the matter, while taking Jimmy Carter to task for his misuse of maps and his faux-history: Don't Play With Maps
Indeed, since the talks fell apart, there has emerged a mythology that seeks to defend Mr. Arafat’s rejection of the Clinton ideas by suggesting they weren’t real or they were too vague or that Palestinians would have received far less than what had been advertised. Mr. Arafat himself tried to defend his rejection of the Clinton proposals by later saying he was not offered even 90 percent of the West Bank or any of East Jerusalem. But that was myth, not reality.
Why is it important to set the record straight? Nothing has done more to perpetuate the conflict between Arabs and Israelis than the mythologies on each side. The mythologies about who is responsible for the conflict (and about its core issues) have taken on a life of their own. They shape perception. They allow each side to blame the other while avoiding the need to face up to its own mistakes. So long as myths are perpetuated, no one will have to face reality.
And yet peace can never be built on these myths. Instead it can come only once the two sides accept and adjust to reality. Perpetuating a myth about what was offered to justify the Arafat rejection serves neither Palestinian interests nor the cause of peace...
Also, Boker Tov, Boulder has a nice round-up of Carter links: Carter Unlimited, including a link to this article by Alan Dershowitz, first in a series of six detailing Carter's ties to Arab money: Ex-President for Sale.
[Links via Yid With Lid.]
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