Reflecting on Jimmy Carter’s Impact on the World

His ineptitude was on full display then and paved the way for the Iranian Islamic regime to become the world’s largest state sponsor of l terror. These are not mere words. Millions of Israelis and Iranians, as well as Jews and others, are still suffering as a result.

Carter’s antisemitism was not only unrepentant but arrogant, as if only he knew the truth, but his truth was a cocktail of distortions and fantasy, looking at the Middle East through a prism about how he thought things should be rather than how they were.

His book “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid” deliberately kept his legitimization of terrorism against Israel despite being called out as such, no apology, no correction, no recall: just a playbook about why killing Jews was OK.

Carter wrote, "It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the 'Roadmap' for peace are accepted by Israel."

Basically, as long as Israel doesn’t do what Carter thinks it should do, terrorism against Israel will continue and is legitimate.

Carter doubled down on his anti-Israel rhetoric and hate as a leading member of “The Elders,” a group of failed world leaders who colluded in multiple ways to continue his anti-Israel diatribe.

In 2009, Carter visited my neighborhood, Gush Etzion, where he surprised many by stating that in an eventual two-state solution (creating a Palestinian Arab state in Judea and Samaria- the “West Bank” and Gaza), he did not envision that Israel would have to return places like this. “I never imagined that Gush Etzion would be transferred to Palestinian hands.”

Maybe he misspoke or was just making friendly chit-chat, but the praise he received then for looking at the reality and not stringent black-and-white policies in which Israel was always to blame was short-lived and not repeated. He must have realized that legitimizing Israeli “settlements” in any way complicated his notion that it was still OK for Palestinian Arab terrorists to kill us.

Carter repeatedly blamed the Jews both for voting for Ted Kennedy in an unprecedented primary campaign against a sitting president and then losing to Ronald Reagan. To him, the Jews were disloyal, if not all-powerful. Unencumbered by living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Carter simply allowed his antisemitic tendencies to take prime time in his presidency in exile.

As a student at Emory where his failed presidency found a home, I had several interactions with Carter. Yes, he was charming, and his soft-spoken demeanor lent one to think he was a good guy.

One day in the late 1980s, he was making public remarks following another trip throughout the Middle East, where he had no problem cozying up to the original Assad dictatorship and other terror leaders. His public comments throughout the trip were a dizzying litany of anti-Israel comments throughout the Arab capitals where he was feted and when he was in Israel. Basically, he blamed Israel for everything wrong and the lack of peace in the Middle East.

During the question and answer. There was time for one question, and my hand shot up. It had been the week of the anniversary of the Camp David Accords, and I thanked him for helping to make that possible, to which he gave his big peanut smile. Then I asked him if, as a representative of Emory University, it was not academically disingenuous to travel the world and blame Israel for lack of peace while not holding the Arabs at least equally accountable.

His peanut smile turned to a scowl, and he began a tirade about how I was wrong, and Israel was to blame. I never had a former president get angry at me and “rip me a new one.”

It felt good not because I upset him but because I called him out in public for his dishonesty, and he had no good answer other than perpetuating his biased rate, which was on full display.

Carter has been in hospice for a very long time, and his death was inevitable. From my perspective, long overdue. I ask myself why God gives people like this who have such evil in their hearts so many extra years. My only explanation, or rationalization, is maybe God was giving him a chance to repent and Jimmy Carter needed that many more years to do so.

I’m not convinced that he did repent, and while it would be appropriate to throw the baby out with the bathwater and he never did anything good, and that would be dishonest, he was a failed one-term president, and he did on ambiguously call for and justify, the terrorist murder of my people that disqualifies him from Sainthood or many of the other honors and memories that others will share in the days to come.

At least in remembering his life, let us remember that he at least indirectly caused tremendous pain, suffering, and death, for which building houses for poor people is no redeeming compensation.

*The opinions in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Crosswalk Headlines.

Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Jessica McGowan/Stringer

Published Date: ©December 30, 2024

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of the Salem Web Network.

Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians. He was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six. He is a leader working with and among Christian supporters of Israel, and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel through his work, writing, and as host of the Inspiration from Zion podcast.
Recently he published the highly acclaimed book, Israel the Miracle, which makes a great gift for Chanukah and Christmas. 
He can be reached at firstpersonisrael@gmail.com.