Eds: The treatment Jimmy Carter received during his recent visit to Israel and the Occupied Territories should shock all Americans. Israel, supposedly an ally of the United States, repeatedly refused requests for adequate security during his visit. Given the hatred of many Israelis toward Carter for his criticism of the brutality of the occupation and the apartheid state that Israel has erected on the West Bank, Carter surely needed protection.

Nevertheless, one comes away from reading the report impressed by Carter’s calm, articulate explications of the situation in the Middle East.  

Trip Report by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan: April 13–22, 2008 

Excerpts: Since Israel had declined to approve a previously planned visit by three of us Elders (Kofi Annan, Mary Robinson, and me), I expected a similar negative reaction when I substituted this trip on behalf of The Carter Center. Sure enough, all my requests to meet with ministers of the government were publicly rejected and, more seriously, three requests from our Secret Service detail to work with Israeli security were rejected. This was our first experience of this kind in more than 125 foreign nations we've visited since leaving the White House. (After several news stories on this subject, when we returned to Israel, Shin Bet security met us at the airport and worked with us.) [more]