We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land by Jimmy Carter

Author:Jimmy Carter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

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1. Before the January 2006 election, about 500 truckloads entered Gaza each day. Between June 2007 and June 2008, the average was 64 truckloads daily. After the cease-fire of June 19, the daily rate increased to 129 truckloads.

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A SEARCH FOR INFORMATION

After weeks of delay, Prime Minister Olmert replied to our letter that this would not be the best time for us Elders to visit because of the upcoming sixty-year birthday celebrations for Israel, which would attract a number of other foreign visitors. We responded that we would come ahead as planned and needed only a brief courtesy call with him and talks with a few of his cabinet members.

We had a telephone conference call to finalize our travel plans, and it was a disappointment to me when the Elders decided, in effect, to postpone our trip until there was approval from Israel. In fact, we had never expected for it to be politically possible for any Israeli leader to approve our entire mission, including meetings with Hamas or Syria. All plans had been completed, appointments made with political and private leaders, and I had set aside time for the trip. I was in a quandary and finally decided, with the encouragement of the other Elders, to carry out the same planned mission on behalf of The Carter Center.

I used key phrases from the Elders’ previous public statement for my announcement of the mission:

With deep concern about the long-standing conflict in the Middle East and an equally strong wish for peace . . . We plan to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the interlocking Middle Eastern conflicts . . . listen to all parties, and meet with leaders from governments, civil society, and key groups that influence the conflict in an attempt to understand their various perspectives. At the end of the mission, we will prepare a report for the public to help people understand the urgency of peace and what is needed to secure it. . . . We will also meet and begin to work with groups that will reinforce the efforts by the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to negotiate a peace agreement based on a two-state solution. . . . We genuinely hope that our efforts to learn from each of the parties can contribute to peace.

It was now less than three weeks before we needed to be in Israel to commence our Middle East tour, and I already had a full schedule. I was leaving in three days for scheduled visits to Ghana and Nigeria regarding our center’s health programs, and immediately thereafter we would be in Nepal to monitor a crucial election.

As has always been my custom when planning foreign travel, I had notified the State Department three months earlier and received the necessary travel approval for the entire trip. This time, though, because of the sensitivity of some visits, I decided to speak personally to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She was traveling in Europe, and her Middle East deputy returned my call.

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