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Carter Facing Heat Over Book

Carter backlash: Fourteen members of an advisory board to Jimmy Carter's human rights organization resigned yesterday to protest his new book, which criticizes Israeli policy in the Palestinian territories. The resignations from the Carter Center board are the latest backlash against the former president's book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," which has drawn fire from Jewish groups, been attacked by fellow Democrats and led to the resignation last month of Kenneth Stein, a center fellow and a longtime Carter adviser. "You have clearly abandoned your historic role of broker in favor of becoming an advocate for one side," the departing members of the center's Board of Councilors told Mr. Carter in their letter of resignation. The 200-member board is responsible for building public support for the Carter Center. It is not the organization's governing board. The board's members "are not engaged in implementing work of the center," Carter Center Executive Director John Hardman said. Steve Berman, an Atlanta real estate developer and one of those who resigned, said members have "watched with great dismay" as Mr. Carter defended the book, especially as he implied that Americans might be afraid to discuss the conflict in fear of a powerful Jewish lobby. Mr. Berman said the religious affiliation of the resigning members, which include some prominent Jewish leaders in the Atlanta area, didn't influence their decision.

posted by David @ 6:48 PM