The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has called upon the Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School to rescind its decision to bestow an award upon former President Jimmy Carter. This Wednesday, April 10, the Cardozo Law School, which is a part of New York City’s Yeshiva University (YU), is to bestow its International Advocate for Peace Award from the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution upon Carter. The ZOA has pointed to President Carter’s repellant, decades-long record as an Israel-basher and promoter of Israel’s most vicious enemies, including Hamas, which calls in its Charter for the destruction of Israel (Article 15) and the global murder of Jews (Article 7), in calling upon Cardozo to rescind its decision to award Carter.
In a letter to YU Dean, Professor Matthew Diller, and YU President, Professor Richard Joel, ZOA National President Morton A. Klein wrote:
“We are deeply appalled that any institution, but especially a Jewish one like Cardozo, would seek to honor an Israel-basher like Jimmy Carter. Carter was the author in 2007 of a book, Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid, in which he wrote the following astounding and reprehensible passage: ‘It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for Peace are accepted by Israel’ (p. 213). In the words of the New York Post at the time, ‘Carter isn’t calling on the Palestinians to give up terror and murder now as a way to convince Israel they are serious about peace. Rather, he says they can wait until they’ve achieved their goals at the bargaining table. No need, says Carter, to give up terrorism until then… he flatly condones mass murder’ (‘Jimmy for Terror,’ New York Post, January 15, 2007).
“I would also like to draw your attention to the following:
- The publication of Carter’s book impelled 14 board members of the Carter Center to resign.
- His Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance, once revealed that if Carter had won a second term, he intended to sell Israel down the river.
- In The Unfinished Presidency, Douglas Brinkley wrote, ‘There was no world leader Jimmy Carter was more eager to know than Yasir Arafat,’ whom he befriended already in 1990, three years before Arafat supposedly accepted Israel’s right to exist and signed the Oslo Accords.
- Carter was awarded a prize from Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, whose Zayed Center for Coordination and Follow-Up has promoted Holocaust denial.
- Carter has met numerous times with leaders of the terror group Hamas, whitewashing their genocidal goals and undermining U.S. efforts to isolate Hamas.
- Last year, Carter blamed Israel for exodus of Christians from the region.
“It would be unconscionable and grotesque if an honored Jewish university, of all places, now gives a platform to Jimmy Carter, who has been prominent in the campaign to demonize Israel and helps legitimize his pro-violence and pro-terror views.
“Carter should be shunned by universities, organizations, media, synagogues and churches and not granted any sort of platform to peddle his lies and hate propaganda.
The ZOA has also applauded the Coalition of Concerned Cardozo Alumni (CCCA)’s efforts to have Cardozo cancel the event and has also provided a detailed list of Carter’s infamous words and deeds regarding Israel and the Middle East.
The ZOA urges people to contact the Dean of Cardozo and President of YU to urge them to cancel the award to Jimmy Carter:
Professor Matthew Diller, Dean of Cardozo: Ph: (212) 790 0310; E: [email protected]
Professor Richard Joel, President of Yeshiva University: ph: (212) 960 5300; E: [email protected]