Former US President James ‘Jimmy’ Earl Carter Jr, who passed away on January 23, at the age of 100, is remembered not only for his tenure in the White House but also for his tireless efforts in global peacebuilding and human rights advocacy. While his presidency was marked by challenges on the domestic front—including an energy crisis, inflation, and the Iranian hostage crisis—Carter’s post-presidential career cemented his place in history as a statesman dedicated to diplomacy, humanitarian work, and the pursuit of lasting peace, especially in the Middle East. His role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in particular, remains one of his most significant and controversial legacies.
Born in Plains, Georgia, on October 1, 1924, Carter grew up in the rural South during a time of segregation and economic hardship. A graduate of the US Naval Academy, Carter entered public service after a brief stint in the Navy. He returned to Georgia to run his family’s peanut farm, but his deep commitment to public service eventually led him into politics. Elected governor of Georgia in 1970, Carter championed racial integration and government reform. His 1976 election to the presidency, which came as a political outsider at a time when the country was reeling from the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, marked the beginning of a presidency that would have a profound impact on both domestic and foreign affairs.
While many foreign policy achievements during Carter’s presidency are notable, none stands out more than his role in the Middle East. In 1977, as president, Carter became personally engaged in the long-standing Arab-Israeli conflict, believing that the key to lasting peace in the region would come through honest diplomacy and the recognition of each side’s right to security and sovereignty.
The pinnacle of his efforts was the Camp David Accords, which he brokered in September 1978. Carter’s personal diplomacy and tireless work resulted in a historic peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, with Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Menachem Begin of Israel signing accords that led to the first peace treaty between an Arab country and Israel. In return for the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, Israel’s security was guaranteed, and Egypt became the first Arab nation to formally recognize Israel.
However, while the Camp David Accords were perceived as a success, the absence of a clear resolution to the Palestinian issue—which remained at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict—meant that Carter’s achievements were, in some ways, incomplete. Carter’s deep commitment to resolving the Palestinian question would continue throughout his presidency and far beyond.
In many ways, Carter’s Middle East diplomacy was shaped by a close relationship with Andrew Young, his ambassador to the United Nations and one of the most outspoken figures in the administration on issues of race, civil rights, and international diplomacy. Young, an African American who had been a key figure in the civil rights movement and a confidant of Martin Luther King Jr., was an integral part of Carter’s foreign policy team and played a significant role in shaping the administration’s approach to the Middle East.
A former congressman, Young’s advocacy for Palestinian rights and his approach to diplomacy in the region would prove to be both a strategic and philosophical extension of Carter’s own values of peace, justice, and human dignity. Young was one of the first high-ranking US officials to publicly call for an acknowledgment of Palestinian rights and a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the principles of self-determination. His belief that the US should engage with both Israel and the Arab states, and not ignore the Palestinian people, was a vision that ran counter to more conventional US foreign policy at the time.
During his time as US Ambassador to the United Nations, Young worked alongside Carter to push for American recognition of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and its leaders. While the US government officially refrained from recognizing the PLO during Carter’s presidency, Young’s diplomatic efforts played a crucial role in shifting the American narrative around the Middle East conflict. Young’s candid and often controversial views about the US relationship with Israel, as well as his calls for a more even-handed approach to the Palestinian issue, contributed to the administration’s increasingly vocal commitment to a comprehensive peace process in the region. Young’s meeting with the PLO created a massive outcry from pro-Israeli lobby, forcing Young to tender his resignation.
Carter’s engagement with the Palestinian issue didn’t end with his presidency. After leaving the White House in 1981, he became an even more vocal advocate for Palestinian rights and a two-state solution. His 2006 book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, caused significant controversy, particularly among pro-Israel groups and American Jewish organizations. In the book, Carter argued that Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territories—including the construction of settlements in the West Bank and Gaza—were tantamount to apartheid, drawing sharp criticism for what many saw as an unjust comparison to South Africa’s system of racial segregation.
Despite the backlash, Carter remained unwavering in his belief that a fair and lasting peace in the region could only be achieved by addressing the root causes of the conflict, including the rights of Palestinians. His advocacy for a two-state solution—a vision of a secure Israel living side by side with a sovereign Palestinian state—became a hallmark of his post-presidential work, which included a focus on both public diplomacy and engagement with international organizations. Carter’s leadership in promoting the idea of Palestinian self-determination and his calls for Israel to halt its settlement expansion were central to his legacy as an advocate for Middle East peace.
Iran was Carter’s singular foreign policy failure. Carter’s relationship with Iran became deeply strained during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 when the US-backed Shah was overthrown and replaced by Ayatullah Khomeini. Tensions escalated further when Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage. The crisis overshadowed Carter’s presidency, and despite attempts to negotiate their release, the hostages were held for 444 days. An ill-fated rescue mission, Operation Eagle Claw, failed when a helicopter crashed, further embarrassing Carter’s administration and undermining his re-election bid. The hostages were finally freed on the day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.
Through the Carter Center, Carter continued to press for a fair solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating for Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza and urging the US to play a more impartial role in peace negotiations. He also sought to mediate between Israel and Arab states, pushing for greater recognition of Palestinian sovereignty and justice.
Carter’s role in the Middle East, especially his unwavering support for Palestinian rights, remains a defining part of his legacy. His belief that peace could only be achieved through mutual recognition and justice, rather than through military power or coercion, was reflected in the way he approached both the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and broader Middle East diplomacy. While Carter’s stance on the Palestinian issue was often contentious in the U.S., particularly among Israel’s supporters, his post-presidential work laid the groundwork for a new generation of peace advocates who prioritized human rights and diplomatic engagement. His work—alongside figures like Andrew Young—helped reshape the global conversation on the Middle East and reaffirmed the importance of a balanced approach to peace in the region.
Carter’s death at 100 marks the passing of one of the most steadfast and principled advocates for peace in the 20th and 21st centuries. His tireless work for Palestinian rights, his legacy of diplomacy, and his vision of a world built on justice, equality, and human dignity remain an inspiration to countless individuals and organizations working for peace today.
Photo: Former US President, Jimmy Carter: Oct 1, 1924, – Feb 5, 2025(Credit: WikiCommons)
Mahomed Faizal
