Three Years Later: Carter’s "Al Het"
Well, it only took Jimmy Carter three years to apologize for the harm he caused. Like Jeffrey Goldberg, I’m not entirely sure how to feel about the apology. But I’m not unhappy to have it.
(I do wonder how Carter’s own statement will go over with one of the most vocal champions of Carter’s infamous book-I-will-not-name–a former President of the National Book Critics Circle who quite literally harassed me by e-mail and phone to advocate for that text. As I’ve explained elsewhere, the totally inappropriate use of the NBCC blog to disparage Israel and promote anti-Israel authors–again and again and again–is what led me to resign my [dues-paying] membership back in late 2006. [The private harassment was just the icing on that sickening cake.] I can’t help wondering if any of the folks who seemed to think that I was on the wrong side of the argument back then, overreacting, etc. are having any second thoughts whatsoever this week.)