JC: 21st century prophet
Jimmy Carter: Ex-President, Humanitarian...Movie Star?
by Adam Howard, September 11, 2007.
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/62286/?cID=728835#c728835
Jimmy Carter generated just as much buzz as Hollywood hearthtrobs George Clooney and Brad Pitt at the opening night of the Toronto Film Festival.
He was appearing in support of a Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs", "Philadelphia") directed documentary, Man From Plains which stars Carter and covers his book tour for the controversial book Palestine Peace, Not Apartheid and also explores his post-presidential life during which he's been widely praised for building homes for the poor and for being a tireless advocate for peace.
From the AP:
Taking part in the film festival's first geo-political talk, taped for television, Carter called for Washington to hold "direct talks" with Iran, laid out his vision for Mideast peace and lamented the "unwarranted and unprecedented" religious fundamentalism that has crept into US politics.
In a stinging attack on US President George W. Bush and his Christian supporters, he said: "I worship Christ who was the prince of peace, not pre-emptive war."
"A superpower like the United States should use all of its resources ... to promote peace," he said.
Talking about his book, Carter said: "I hope it will precipitate attempting to find peace in the Holy Land."
"It's one of the most important political issues in the world, because a lot of the animosity (in the world) is centered around what's happening to bring peace or not bring peace in (Israel-Palestine)."
"There hasn't been one single day of peace talks in the last seven years," he complained.
Carter when on to talk about what motivated him to write Palestine Peace, Not Apartheid:
"I became very frustrated to see the stagnation there and the animosity building up around the world against my own nation just because we had not tried to bring peace to Israel and its (surrounding) states," he said, explaining his inspiration for the book.
"I was amazed and almost nauseated to see the encroachment by Israel on Palestinian land and the persecution of the Palestinians," he said, citing 205 fortified Jewish settlements in "choice places" in the West Bank.
Carter and his wife Rosalynn had visited the Palestinian territories on three occasions in recent years. Rosalynn commented that the wall built by Israel to separate the two sides, but condemned internationally, was "shocking."
"I would like to see good faith talks begin between the Israelis and Palestinians to bring peace and justice (for both)," said Carter, who spearheaded the first Mideast peace talks at Camp David in 1978.
The film is due out in October. According to the AP, Carter and his wife recieved two standing ovations from Toronto audiences before the movie even debuted. Director Demme says:
"In the last year or so, I've spent more time with Jonathan than I have with Rosalynn," Carter told the audience. "He followed me around and we became close friends, and I learned to admire his abilities as a director. I've seen the film. It is, because of him, outstanding, not because of the leading actor in it."
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/62286/?cID=728835#c728835
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Carter said that THE ISSUE all the presidential candidates should be talking about is the issue of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
International law states occupation is to be temporary and not transfer ones population into occupied territory.
Under international law the 275,000 settlers in the West Bank are all illegal, and we are now in the 40th year of occupation of Palestinians who have been denied basic and inalienable human rights.
I have been to Israel Palestine five times in the last two years and it is what the Israelis call "Haditha" which in African is called Apartheid and in English is called separation/segregation.
We the people of America have provided Israel with over $108 billion since 1948, and over 1.2 million per mile to build The Wall, which the International Court of Justice has deemed illegal and must come down.
Candidate Bush claimed his favorite philosopher was Jesus, President Bush doesn't know jack about the philosophy, which in a nutshell is THE PEACEMAKERS ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD!
Jesus never said it was OK to bomb, torture or occupy another.
Jimmy Carter has become a prophet; and prophets do NOT predict the future as much as they point out danger and provoke us to think about God.
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Carter truly walks the walk
Thank you Eileen for such a well written piece and thank you for waking the masses, my prayer is they listen and learn. It is past time American Christians heard their brothers and sisters cry for peace.
Another 21st prophet
All day yesterday, I had a burning desire to confront the empire, so I sent a FAX to President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Ehud Olmert, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Tsipi Livni and Minister of Justice and Prof. Daniel Friedman.
On September 2, 2007, the whistle blower of Israel's WMD Program, Mordechai Vanunu's appeal was filed to fight the six month jail sentence he received on July 2, 2007, for speaking his mind to foreign media in Israel in 2004; but the 'professional' media has been missing in action all during his year and a half long FREEDOM of SPEECH trial in the 'democracy' of Israel.
The former secular Jew-existentialist, atheist, Mordechai Vanunu, was baptized a Christian in 1986, just days before being kidnapped by the Mossad. He was convicted of treason for telling the world the truth that Israel had gone nuclear and spent 18 years in jail-most all of it in solitary confinement.
Although 'freed' in 2004, he has been forbidden to leave the state and speak to foreigners.
Ever since I met Vanunu in June 2005, I have been convinced I met a prophet.
A prophet does NOT predict the future, but instead, points out impending danger and provokes us to remember God.
On July 16, 2007, I crossed paths with Vanunu on Nablus Road in east Jerusalem: occupied territory and he said to me:
"This is the very spot where they stoned to death the first Christian martyr for freedom of speech."
We had crossed paths directly in front of St. Stephen's Church and Saint Stephen was the first follower of Jesus to be stoned to death for speaking truth to power 2,000 years ago.
My 9/11/07 FAX to the empire
Dear Prime Minister, Mr. Ehud Olmert,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Tsipi Livni,
Minister of Justice, Prof. Daniel Friedman,
President George W. Bush,
Today is 6 years after THAT DAY we Americans call 9/11 and upon reflecting on THAT DAY, I was inspired to write to you all. The times in the USA, have a changed and Americans are fed up with President Bush's Doctrine of Fear and are connecting the dots from the Occupation of Iraq to the Occupation of Palestine and are waking up to the fact that the world has tipped over heavy with artillery and WMD's.
If THAT DAY we call 9/11 taught we the people of America anything it is that our nuclear arsenal cannot provide safety or security against a few angry violent men. Iraq is teaching us that democracy cannot be had through the barrel of a gun or by occupying innocent ones.
But, my point in writing to you is to illuminate you to the fact that the ONLY way Vanunu can harm Israel is with Bad PR for " Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." -Article 19, UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
I should not have to remind you that, "On the day of the termination of the British mandate and on the strength of the United Nations General Assembly declare The State of Israel will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel: it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion it will guarantee freedom of religion [and] conscience and will be faithful to the Charter of the United Nations." - May 14, 1948. The Declaration of the establishment of Israel
Criticizing the American governments unjust policies is NOT unpatriotic, in fact it is most in keeping with what our Founding Fathers understood: "Soon after I had published the pamphlet "Common Sense" [on Feb. 14, 1776] in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion... The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion."-Tom Paine
Criticizing unjust Israeli government policy is not in the least anti-Semitic, but most in keeping with what the Hebrew prophets have always taught;
"From Moses to Jeremiah and Isaiah, the Prophets taught...that the Jewish claim on the land of Israel was totally contingent on the moral and spiritual life of the Jews who lived there, and that the land would, as the Torah tells us, 'vomit you out' if people did not live according to the highest moral vision of Torah. Over and over again, the Torah repeated its most frequently stated mitzvah: "When you enter your land, do not oppress the stranger; the other, the one who is an outsider of your society, the powerless one and then not only 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself' but also 'you shall love the other.'" [Rabbi Lerner, TIKKUN Magazine page 35, Sept/Oct, 2007]
"What does God require? He has told you o'man! Be just, be merciful, and walk humbly with your Lord." -Micah 6:8
I reiterate that the only way Vanunu can harm Israel is with bad PR and I add that this civilian journalist is determined to persist in that task.
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. ... Genius will not. ... Education will not. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."- President Calvin Coolidge
Being an Irish American dissident and story teller, I leave you with this:
Once upon a time, there was an old crone, who lived in a certain municipality with a particularly unjust Judge who cared nothing about people or God; only his own point of view mattered to him. But that old crone kept harping at him with her plea, "Grant me justice against my adversary!"
That old crone became such a royal PIA [pain in the ass] the unjust Judge finally muttered, "Even though I don't care about God or give a hoot about that old crone, she has become such a royal PIA, I will give into her, just to get her to leave me alone!" [Paraphrased from a parable Jesus told in Luke 18 1-5]
As Churchill said, "Never, never, never, never ever give up." I won't.
And as the IDF say at the checkpoints to USA citizens: "Have a nice day."
Eileen Fleming,
Florida, USA
Reporter and Editor WAWA:
http://www.wearewide...
Author Keep Hope Alive and Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory
Producer "30 Minutes With Vanunu" which is freely streaming and downloaded daily by we the people all over the world.
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WHITE HOUSE FAX: 1-202-456-2461
Mr. Ehud Olmert Fax: 011-972-2-6513955,
Ms. Tsipi Livni, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fax: 011-972-2-5303704
Prof. Daniel Friedman, Minister of Justice Fax: 011-972-2-6287757
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PS: I have a link on my website that tells me what countries visit my site.
Israel had hovered around 12th place out of 70 countries BEFORE my last trip to Israel Palestine in July 2007.
Ever since I have been back in the USA, Israel has been in 4th place.
USA Military and Government are also considered a country on that link; and Big Brother remains in top 20.
I also FAXED the above from my home phone, for the gospel is FEAR NOT!
"You can stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won't back down."-Tom Petty
Eileen Fleming,
Reporter and Editor of
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Author "KEEP HOPE ALIVE" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory"
Producer of "30 Minutes with Vanunu"