Posted by Eugene Volokh:
Did Jimmy Carter Endorse Palestinian Terrorism So Long as
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_01_07-2007_01_13.shtml#1168540994
Israel Doesn't Accept "The Ultimate Goals of the Roadmap for Peace"?
Lawprof Steve Lubet pointed to a letter by [1]Emory Prof. Melvin
Konner:
I ... call your attention to a sentence on p. 213 that had not
stood out for me the first time I read it: "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."
As someone who has lived his life as a professional reader and
writer, I cannot find any way to read this sentence that does not
condone the murder of Jews until such time as Israel unilaterally
follows President Carter's prescription for peace. This sentence,
simply put, makes President Carter an apologist for terrorists and
places my children, along with all Jews everywhere, in greater
danger.
The chapter in which the sentence appears is available [2]here, and I
too find it hard to read the sentence other than how Prof. Konner
does. In context, it doesn't just seem as an objective political
description of the "terrorism will go on until this-and-such happens,
so Israel should do this-and-such because of this practical reality."
Nor does it seem to be a call on Arabs and Palestinians of the "acts
of terrorism should stop now, but since I realize that you won't do it
now, at least you might insist that they stop when this important step
is accomplished."
Rather, it seems to be a statement of what the Arab and Palestinian
community have a moral obligation to do: Make clear not that they will
end terrorism, but that they will end terrorism when Israel makes
certain concessions. Are Prof. Konner and I mistaken here?
References
1. http://www.spme.net/cgi-bin/articles.cgi?ID=1613
2. http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=25&pid=522298&agid=2
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