Former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, said that the
Israeli policies in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are worse than the
policies that were practiced in south Africa.
The statements of Carter were broadcast on the Israeli Radio when the station was playing a tape of an interview with him.
In recent period, Carter made similar remarks during interviews with a number of stations, including an interview with the CBC television, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.
“When Israel does occupy this territory deep within the West Bank, and connects the 200-or-so settlements with each other, with a road, and then prohibits the Palestinians from using that road, or in many cases even crossing the road, this perpetrates even worse instances of apartness, or apartheid, than we witnessed even in South Africa", Carter said as published in Haaretz.
Last month, Carter published “Palestine: Peace not Apartheid” book which was considered by many to be critical of Israel and the United States.
The book has also sparked strong criticism from Jewish figures in the United States. Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Foxman described some of the comments of Carter as “anti-Semitic”, but Carter rejected the criticism of his book and his use of the word “apartheid”.
Carter stated that Israel is oppressing the Palestinian people, and that he has a commitment in his life “to bring peace to Israel”, Haaretz reported. He added that Israel will only enjoy peace if it withdraws from the occupied Palestinian territories.
