Did Carter 'keep faith'?

The occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Camp David Agreement furnished a fresh opportunity for the critics of prime minister Menachem Begin to lambaste him once again (see The Jerusalem Post, September 18).

Foremost among these critics is US president Jimmy Carter, who repeated the canard that Begin had promised him Israel would suspend its settlement policy in the territories for the duration of the autonomy talks. The claim was, from the very beginning, patently preposterous.

To assume that Begin, at a closed meeting attended only by Carter and one or two others, would blithely abandon the goal of a lifetime the preservation of the unity of all of Eretz Israel stretches credulity. The most generous interpretation of Carter's assertion is that at the time he misunderstood what Begin was saying, namely, that to get the negotiations under way he would consent to a three-month suspension of settlement activity, but not more than that.

But although his misperception has been pointed out countless times, Carter, at the 25th anniversary conference in Washington, repeated his charge that Begin had gone back on his word, although he said he did not question Begin's honesty.

On this occasion, however, there were present several of the Israeli attendees at Camp David who could disabuse him of his error. The first to react was Elyakim Rubinstein, currently Israel's attorney-general, who 25 years earlier had been head of foreign minister Moshe Dayan's office. He referred to his familiarity with the Camp David documentation to confirm his own recollection of the time, that Begin had stipulated a three-month suspension only.

Vital corroboration of Rubinstein's contention was supplied by Aharon Barak, currently chief justice of the Supreme Court, who as Israel's attorney-general had been present at the critical meeting at which Begin, according to Carter, made the momentous concession.

Barak declared unequivocally that his notes, taken at the meeting, fully confirmed that Begin had never conceded anything beyond a three-month suspension.

As Rubinstein stressed, Begin was a man of integrity, and when he pledged his word he adhered to his pledge. Moreover, it is noteworthy that President Anwar Sadat himself, a few days after the relevant meeting, said: "What's wrong with three months?"

Carter could never produce any document or public statement by Begin to support his claim of a retraction. The charge that Begin had retracted his commitment and broken his faith was and remains unsubstantiated.

IN CONTRAST, the documentary record amply demonstrates that at Camp David Carter did not keep faith with the Israelis over the critical issue of Jerusalem.

In his book Keeping Faith, Carter writes that on the very first day of the Camp David conference he assured Begin "that we would have no bilateral secrets, and that I would not give to Sadat nor to [Begin ] any official United States proposals without discussing the unofficial drafts first with both sides." This is precisely what he failed to do on the subject of Jerusalem.

After the Israeli and Egyptian sides had presented contrasting positions on the issue, the US delegation drafted a clause affirming Jerusalem's unity and guaranteeing freedom of access for the adherents of all faiths, stating that "the holy places of each faith should be under the administration and full authority of their representatives" and that "a municipal council drawn from the inhabitants should supervise essential functions in the city."

This formulation was very close to the traditional Israeli stand that Jerusalem should never again be divided and that the demands of the various faiths would be satisfied by according them self-administration of their respective Holy Sites.

Little wonder Begin and the Israeli delegation were delighted with the American formula.

As Carter records, Begin told him the paragraph on Jerusalem was "a beautiful number... deeply appreciated and positive." Apparently Sadat was also satisfied and gave his consent to the US draft clause. Later, however, Sadat had second thoughts, and he conditioned his agreement on Carter's furnishing him with an official letter declaring that the US regarded east Jerusalem as part of the West Bank. This, of course, was the reverse of the assumption of the city's unity in the US draft.

Nonetheless, Carter obliged Sadat and committed himself to providing the letter. In effect, it was a total repudiation of the formula for which he had secured Israel's assent.

Moreover, Carter's commitment to Sadat before Begin knew anything about the proposed letter represented a fundamental breach of Carter's commitment that no proposal would be confirmed until both sides were shown draft proposals.

Once Begin was informed of the contents of the proposed letter he issued orders for the members of the Israeli delegation to pack their bags and prepare to leave Camp David. He declared that Israel would not sign any agreement to which was appended a letter proclaiming east Jerusalem "occupied territory." This, he maintained, was simply a prescription for redividing the city. Carter's surprise move had provoked a crisis on the next-to-last day of the conference, one that threatened to nullify the whole proceedings.

DAYAN MET with the president and did not mince his words in condemning Carter's initiative in agreeing to the letter. Had the Israelis known that the Americans intended making controversial announcements on Jerusalem, he said, they would never have agreed to come to Camp David.

"How," he asked, "could the Americans and the Egyptians argue that the Western Wall, the Hebrew University, Hadassah Hospital, the Mount of Olives, and Mount Scopus belonged to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan?"

Begin likewise was firm that he would prefer to leave Camp David without any agreement at all rather than accept such a perverse letter being issued to Sadat by the president of the US. Carter recognized that the Israelis were adamant and accepted that no letter be issued.

The crisis was defused only by totally eliminating a Jerusalem clause from the text of the Camp David Agreement, and instead appending three separate letters signed by the respective heads of delegation stating the policy of each country on the subject of Jerusalem.

The Israeli statement simply declared the Knesset had "decreed that Jerusalem is one city indivisible, the capital of the State of Israel."

In sum, while Begin never broke his word to Carter, it would be difficult to make a similar claim with regard to Carter's pledge to Begin. The author of Keeping Faith, it appears, failed to keep faith with the Israeli delegation at Camp David.

Jimmy Carter: "Useful Idiot" or "Traitor"?

"[Marshall Tito] is a man who believes in human rights.
[He is] a great and courageous leader [who] has led his people
and protected their freedom almost for the last 40 years."
-- Carter, while still in office, hailing Yugoslavia's communist dictator

"Our goals are the same: to have a just system of economics and
politics ... We believe in enhancing human rights."
-- Carter comparing himself to Romania's dictator Nicolae Ceausescu

"Our concept of human rights is preserved in [Communist] Poland."
-- Carter speaking to Stalinist Edward Gierek, Poland's First Secretary

"[I am] ashamed of what my country has done to your country."
-- Carter speaking to Haitian dictator Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras

"I don't see that they [the North Koreans] are an outlaw nation."
-- Carter in North Korea, lauding Stalinist Kim Il Sung,
one of the most destructive and repressive dictators in history

"Ill-informed commentators in both countries have cast the other side
as a villain and have even forecast inevitable confrontation
between the two nations."
-- Carter making exquisite moral equivalence between the giant and
repressive Chinese Communist state and America

Carter gave away US oversight of the Panama Canal, "the most
important waterway in the world," says Adm. Thomas H. Moorer (ret),
which is now "packed with Chinese communists."

Sadat, appalled that Carter wanted the Soviets in on Middle East peace
negotiations, decided to directly offer peace to Israel's Begin. When
their plan was essentially worked out, they then called the White House,
because obviously, "they needed someone to pay the bill" (Bernard Lewis).

Not resting on his laurels, Carter demanded the Shah of Iran step down
and turn over power to the Ayatollah Khomeini, an Islamic madman. Carter
had the Pentagon tell the Shah's top military commanders - about 150 of
them - to acquiesce to the Ayatollah and not fight him. The Shah's
military listened to Carter. ALL OF THEM were murdered in one of the
Ayatollah's first acts. By allowing the Shah to fall, Carter created one
of the most militant anti-American dictatorships ever. Soon the new Iranian
government was ransacking our embassy and held hostage its staff for over
a year. More than 20,000 pro-Western Iranians were put before firing
squads. With the Shah gone, the whole region was destabilized.

Iraq took advantage of the Shah's departure to invade Iran, a war that
killed more than 500,000 people. It also created the regional instabilities
that led to Iraq’s later invasion of Kuwait and to Operation Desert Storm,
which cost the lives of hundreds of thousands more. But Carter meant well.

In the closing days of the 1980 election, Carter's White House contacted
the Soviets in a quid pro quo to plead for assistance in stopping Reagan
from winning. In 1984, Carter himself visited Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin
to ask the Soviets to intervene on behalf of Democrats. Damning evidence
that Jimmy Carter, as both president and citizen, may have committed treason
by enlisting the help of our enemies in presidential elections.

Since leaving office, Carter has:
- praised Syria's late Assad (killer of at least 20,000 in Hama)
- praised Ethiopian tyrant Mengistu (killer of many more than that)
- secured Saudi funding for Arafat after he sided with Iraq against the US
- wrote the UN Security Council after Iraq invaded Kuwait, urging them
to thwart President Bush's pre-Gulf War coalition (designed to reverse
that act of aggression) - another action some called "treason"

"Our people, who face Israeli bullets, have no weapons: only a few stones
remaining when our homes are destroyed by Israeli bulldozers."
-- from a speech written by Carter for Yassir Arafat

"[Arafat's] election [was] democratic, well organized, open and fair."
-- Carter describing the "rigged" 1996 Palestinian election

"[Arafat] may well see the suicide attacks as one of the few ways
to retaliate against his tormentors, to dramatize the suffering of
his people, or as a means for him, vicariously, to be a martyr."
-- Carter in an apologia for the Pali homicide-bombings

And yet, with the blood of perhaps a million people dripping from his hands,
Carter stalked the earth in his sick quest to be given a Nobel Peace Prize.

If he had any moral center at all, he would return his recent peace prize.

Carter is the smiley face of evil.

R E F E R E N C E S:

Jimmy Carter: America basher
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/jg20020515.shtml

Carter: Cuba Terror Claims False
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/682807/posts

There He Goes Again
http://www.nationalreview.com/20may02/nordlinger052002.asp

You Didn’t Ask for It, You Got It: Carterpalooza!
http://www.nationalreview.com/impromptus/impromptus050302.asp

Carter & Castro
http://www.frontpagemag.com/columnists/ponte05-08-02.htm

Jimmy Carter’s Trail of Disaster
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/5/12/164726.shtml

'Idiotic' Carter Castro's Dupe
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/5/15/202903.shtml

Carter, Democrats Asked Soviets to Stop Reagan
http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2002/10/16/214040

Not resting on his laurels, Carter demanded the Shah of Iran step down and turn over power to the Ayatollah Khomeini, an Islamic madman. Carter had the Pentagon tell the Shah's top military commanders - about 150 of them - to acquiesce to the Ayatollah and not fight him. The Shah's military listened to Carter. ALL OF THEM were murdered in one of the Ayatollah's first acts. By allowing the Shah to fall, Carter created one of the most militant anti-American dictatorships ever. Soon the new Iranian government was ransacking our embassy and held hostage its staff for over a year. More than 20,000 pro-Western Iranians were put before firing squads. With the Shah gone, the whole region was destabilized.

Iraq took advantage of the Shah's departure to invade Iran, a war that killed more than 500,000 people. It also created the regional instabilities that led to Iraq’s later invasion of Kuwait and to Operation Desert Storm, which cost the lives of hundreds of thousands more. But Carter meant well.

Truth bears repeating.

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