[Peace-discuss] Zionism left and right [Jimmy Carter Man From Plains]

[Stuart Levy]

On Tue, Nov 06, 2007 at 06:11:44AM -0800, David Green wrote:
> Analogous to Matt's comments on another thread, you can read that our right-wing Prince of Darkness in this country also goes well beyond the limits of allowable debate on Israel, while liberals customarily get nowhere near the limits. Compare this to the review of Carter's book in the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/books/review/Bronner.t.html?ex=1171170000&en=c8775356a9404ed3&ei=5070. I believe they also carried a snide review of Demme's film.
>    
>   DG
>    
>   Carter's Clarity, Bush's Befuddlement
> Robert D. Novak
> Washington Post
> November 5, 2007
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/ article/2007/ 11/05/AR20071105 00204.html
> 
> The timing of the release of the new documentary "Jimmy Carter: Man From
> Plains" was not intentional. The movie is arriving in theaters just before
> the Bush administration' s proposed Middle East conference in Annapolis,
> scheduled for the end of this month. But the former president's clarity on
> the Palestinian question contrasts sharply with George W. Bush's refusal to
> face reality, casting a pall over hopes to conclude his presidency with a
> diplomatic triumph.
> 
> In the film, Carter repeatedly and unequivocally states what Palestinian and
> Israeli peace advocates view as undeniable: to achieve Israeli-Palestinian
> peace, with all its benefits for the world, Israel must end its illegal and
> oppressive occupation of the West Bank. That is a prerequisite that neither
> President Bush nor congressional leaders of both parties can approach for
> fear of being labeled anti-Israeli or even anti-Semitic (as Carter has been).
 
[...]

Re the film -- hope it comes to town -- it's cheering to read Roger Ebert's
admiring review of it,

   http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071101/REVIEWS/711010307/1023

I'll leave you to read the best of that for yourselves, but the review
closes with this gem:

    I saw this film for the first time in September at the
    Toronto Film Festival. On the same day, I read a news story
    about the new book Dead Certain by John Draper, in which
    President George W. Bush confided some of his plans for retirement.
    Bush told Draper: "I'll give some speeches to replenish the ol'
    coffers -- I don't know what my dad gets; it's more than
    $50,000-$75,000 per speech -- Clinton's making a lot of money."
    In another interview, Bush noted Clinton's recent work with the U.N.
    and said that after he retired, "You won't catch me hanging around the U.N."

    I wrote about that in my report from Toronto, closing with the reflection
    that everyone should choose the retirement plan that is right for him. 

 Stuart