Carter
Palestine Israel Series
Whenever events in Gaza and Israel flare up, former President
Carter’s perspective on the region is worth a revisit. Carter’s book ‘Palestine
Peace Not Apartheid’ has been a source of much controversy evidenced by the
veracity of accusations. As he told a crowd of 1,700 at Brandeis, “This is the
first time that I’ve ever been called a liar and a bigot and an anti-Semite and
a coward and a plagiarist. This is hurting me.” Carter may not have been the best President,
but he was then, and is now, a decent and intelligent man. He must have hit a
nerve.
Palestine
Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter, 2006, Excerpts
Includes discussion
of the energy crisis
Palestinians
win upgraded UN status by wide margin
29 Nov 2012
The UN General
Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to recognize Palestine as a non-member
observer state - a move strongly opposed by Israel and the US. The assembly
voted 138-9 in favor, with 41 nations abstaining. The Palestinians can now take
part in UN debates and potentially join bodies like the International Criminal
Court.
Israel
to build 3,000 settler homes after UN vote
30 Nov 2012
Israel has authorized
the construction of 3,000 more housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and the
West Bank, according to Israeli officials. It is also speeding up the
processing of 1,000 planning permissions. The decision comes a day after a vote
at the UN General Assembly upgraded the Palestinians' status at the UN to that
of non-member observer state. About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100
settlements built since the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The
settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel
disputes this.