President Carter, in his denigration of Israel in TomPaine.com of March 9, 2006, seems to be saying that it’s okay for the Arabs to continue attacking Israel and killing Israelis, so long as Abbas verbalizes with fingers crossed that they will honor their commitment to the Road Map. For Carter cannot possibly be suggesting that the Arabs are seriously interested in peace. Or does “no” not mean “no”? Hamas has made it clear, even in English, that they intend to destroy Israel and kill the Jews. All the other fanatical Islamic groups say the same thing, but they generally do so in Arabic - or Farsi - restraining their speeches in English mostly to platitudes that excite well-meaning people to put more pressure on Israel to commit suicide.

A map of the region showing a Palestine without any hint of Israel was recently on display at the UN, while standing in front of it were senior members of the UN who observed a moment of silence to honor the homicide bombers of various Arab terror groups. This is not ancient history, but 29 November 2005. So when Carter talks of the justice to be brought forth from the UN, one has to wonder what he’s been smoking. Further, the UN resolution Carter holds up with as offering such promise, 242, places burdens on the Palestinian Muslims, not just on Israel. The Arab combatants have never even suggested that they would fulfill their end of that bargain. They are still busy training five-year-olds to be shahids.

After suffering constant war and death from even before her inception, how could anyone possibly fail to understand the strategic necessity for the actions Israel has taken to secure areas around her vulnerably narrow territory until such time as the Arabs stop killing her people? Such actions as fencing and building are reversible, if ever an Arab leadership arises which is willing to seriously negotiate for a real peace. Egypt and Jordan’s peace treaties make it clear that Israel will give up vast territory, expensive improvements, and wonderful oil wells for peace. The obstacle, despite Carter’s assertions, is not Israel’s actions, but the very real determination of the Arabs to retake by force land which is not theirs. Arab actions are grounded in religious fanatacism, Mr. Carter's tragic encouragement of Islamic violence cloaked as peace action is fueled by sophistry from fanatical Islamic propagandists, and further encouraged by naive support from well-meaning but short-sighted outsiders like himself. The issues he has been flogging are symptoms of a conflict which has gone on for more than half a century, and are consequences of, not the cause of that conflict. The aggressor Arab irredentists must be delighted to use his naivete as an additional weapon in their fight to reestablish Dar Al Islam. He appears more than willing to overlook the real source of this conflict by blaming the perennial scapegoat, the Jew of world nations. This will only encourage the Islamic aggressors to continue their ruthless aggression, for they have time, oil money, and the support of dozens of fundamentalist regimes on their side, in addition to many well-meaning but totally wrong-headed individuals. You, Mr. Carter, are working the wrong side of the street.