Dennis Ross, a former Clinton envoy to the Middle East, elaborates on his accusation that Jimmy Carter stole maps from his book, The Missing Piece for use in his new book about Palestinian apartheid in Israel. In his defense, Carter claimed the two maps he used for his book he took from an atlas that was printed post-Missing Piece.
Below is Ross' principal gripe with the way Carter displays the maps in his book:
When I decided to write the story of what had happened in the negotiations, I commissioned maps to illustrate what the proposals would have meant for a prospective Palestinian state. If the Clinton proposals in December 2000 had been Israeli or Palestinian ideas and I was interpreting them, others could certainly question my interpretation. But they were American ideas, created at the request of the Palestinians and the Israelis, and I was the principal author of them. I know what they were and so do the parties.
It is certainly legitimate to debate whether President Clinton’s proposal could have settled the conflict. It is not legitimate, however, to rewrite history and misrepresent what the Clinton ideas were.
Why is it important to set the record straight? Nothing has done more to perpetuate the conflict between Arabs and Israelis than the mythologies on each side. The mythologies about who is responsible for the conflict (and about its core issues) have taken on a life of their own. They shape perception. They allow each side to blame the other while avoiding the need to face up to its own mistakes. So long as myths are perpetuated, no one will have to face reality.
Wait a second. Isn't that what politics is comprised of? Those who don't know how to face reality?
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