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When Begin took Carter to school about settlements

Jul 15, 2019

A chapter in the book Israeli Settlements, Land Politics Beyond the Geneva Convention addresses the topic of how changing US presidents have dealt cooperation/' target='_blank'>cooperation-with-israel/' target='_blank'>cooperation-with-israel/' target='_blank'>with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (until 2005)

Both the Johnson and Nixon administrations commented negatively on Israeli settlement plans in the West Bank. The Carter administration was, as far as is known, the first to declare the settlements “illegal”.

The author, Martin Blecher, recounts a story from Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s first meeting with President Jimmy Carter:

Begin: «Hr. President, here in the United States there are eleven places called Hebron, five called Shiloh, four called Bethel and six called Bethlehem. “

Carter: “Yes, it’s there. Within 32 miles [32 km] of my house, there is both a Bethel and a Shiloh. ”

Begin: “Can I be allowed to visit them at some point?”

Carter: “Of course. With pleasure! There are three Baptist churches there. ”

Begin: “If so, I will take our Chief Rabbinate with me to protect me.” [Laughing]

Begin: «Let me ask you a hypothetical question. Imagine that the governors of the states where the Hebrons, Shilohs, Bethelites, and Bethlehemites lived declared that all the inhabitants of the United States could settle there — all but Jews. It would be decided that it is forbidden for Jews to build homes in the various cities called Shiloh, Hebron, Bethel and Bethlehem in America. Dear you! Everyone can settle wherever they want, except the people of the Book. All good women and men everywhere, would shout from the rooftops, ‘This is a scandal! Discrimination! Racism! ‘Is that not true? So how can you expect me, a Jewish prime minister in a Jewish state to lead a government of fifteen Jews, all of whom are free men – how can you expect me to forbid my Jewish compatriots to buy a piece of land and build a home? in the original Shiloh, in the original Bethel, in the original Bethlehem, and in the original Hebron, where our Jewish ancestors originally come from? Wouldn’t that be a scandal? ”

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