Mevaseretzion points to a flame war between Jimmy Carter and Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Weisenthal Center. This is notable, mostly, because the Center has posted a (private) letter from Carter in which the former president suggests Hier is a liar. In response, Hier stops about two centimeter short of calling Carter an anti-Semite. Presumably more fireworks, and perhaps cream pies and seltzer bottles are yet to come.
I haven't read "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," the book Hier and Carter are fighting about. I consider Carter an also-ran and a has-been who should go gently into the good night of retirement. He was also a lousy president. However, the Jewish people owe him everlasting gratitude for brokering the best and most important treaty in the history of Israel. Hakares hatov is a Jewish value, too, and unlike the talking conservative heads who blather on about how much they love Israel, Carter actually did something.
Furthermore, we should remember that a born-again Christian like Carter isn't going to view Israel they way that non-Neturai Karta Jews do. The religious experience is subjective. If Carter doesn't like Israel - and even that isn't clear - his dislike and impatiance and disapointment are not ipso facto expressions of anti-Semitism.
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