Former President Jimmy Carter issued a letter to American Jews on Friday, explaining the use of the term "apartheid" in his new book and sympathizing with Israelis who fear terrorism. The letter was released by the Carter Center, a human rights organization founded by the former president. Carter wrote that the letter‘s purpose was to reiterate that his use of "apartheid" did not apply to circumstances within Israel , that Israelis are deeply concerned about terrorism from "some Palestinians," and that a majority of Israelis want peace with their neighbors.
The rabbis said that they would not call for a boycott of the book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," but that they also would not suggest that anyone read it. "Even though he doesn‘t mean it in a racial term, to use that term can be nothing less than overly provocative," he said.
Carter wrote that "apartheid in Palestine is not based on racism but the desire of a minority of Israelis for Palestinian land and the resulting suppression of protests that involve violence." He called it "contrary to the tenets of the Jewish faith and the basic principles of the nation of Israel."