President Carter, who was able to negotiate peace between Israel and Egypt, has remained deeply involved in Middle East affairs since leaving the White House. He has stayed in touch with the major players from all sides in the conflict and has made numerous trips to the Holy Land
In this new book Carter offers a succinct history of the state of Israel and its relations with surrounding Arab nations, and in particular the Palestinians who were largely displaced at its founding and remain the central characters in the drama. He describes the wars, the occasional peace treaties (as between Sadat's Egypt and Israel), the many failed efforts at solution (Oslo, Camp David) and his own participation.
Carter's bottom line is that the U.S. must lead the effort to find peace and he quotes many Arab and some Jewish leaders as insisting on that fact. He also calls for Israel to take down the wall and to withdraw its settlements on Palestinian ground. He asserts there will be no peace until Hamas recognises Israel and renounces violence. He offers steps to achieve progress and sees some reason for hope with the coming of the Obama administration.
