With the passing of former US President Jimmy Carter, former Israeli envoy to Washington Yoram Ettinger discussed the tragic mistakes Carter made, many of which still affect the Middle East today.

Ettinger recalled, “President Jimmy Carter strongly supported the Ayatollah regime’s takeover of Iran. In 1978, Carter and his advisors concluded that the Persian Shah, America’s Gulf policeman, was obsolete, and they believed Ayatollah Khomeini, who was in exile in Paris, would suit the US as he was anti-Communist and anti-Soviet.”

Ettinger added, “Carter went so far as to declare—ten days before Khomeini landed in Tehran—that US intelligence determined Khomeini would be an Iranian Gandhi. He also claimed Khomeini had no desire to spread the revolution outside Iran, would focus on tractors rather than tanks, and be a loyal envoy for the interests of the free world.”

“These evaluations were the fruits of delusions of a reality that didn’t match the Middle Eastern reality,” Ettinger said, noting that “Carter’s approach also characterized his stance on the Palestinian issue and influenced the development of the peace agreement with Egypt.”

Regarding the peace agreement, Ettinger discussed how Carter’s insistence on including a national home for the Palestinians, potentially a Palestinian state, nearly derailed the agreement: “Carter is credited with bringing Israel and Egypt to a peace agreement. While neither Carter nor the US initiated or were the central figures in this process, Carter’s alternative worldview, seeing the Palestinian issue as central to the Arab-Israeli conflict, led him to push for the Palestinian question to be at the core of the peace negotiations between Israel and Arab states.”

“He didn’t want an Israeli-Egyptian conference but an international one, which would grant roles to the Soviet Union and a veto to extremists in the Arab world. Israeli PM Begin and Egyptian President Sadat rejected this, so the direct initiative eventually led to a significant rapprochement between Israel and Egypt. Of course, the US played an important role, given Egypt’s demands, which only the US could meet. Still, it’s crucial to remember that the idea of a Palestinian state emerged due to President Carter, despite Sadat not considering it significant for Egypt,” Ettinger explained.

The fact that both sides opposed this led to the Palestinian issue not becoming part of the peace agreement.

Ettinger highlighted Zbigniew Brzezinski’s influence on Carter, noting how Brzezinski co-authored the Brookings Report, suggesting that a Palestinian state should be a prerequisite for an Israeli-Arab peace agreement. This perception, Ettinger stated, still guides members of the institute today.

“Carter’s involvement in the peace agreement nearly collapsed the negotiations due to his insistence on establishing a Palestinian state,” Ettinger reiterated, also recalling Carter’s statements suggesting Hamas’ intent for peace.

This perception, held by many in the Washington establishment due to the State Department’s influence, is marked by continued failure in the Middle East since 1948 – failures that have reflected on Carter as well.

Asked if these failures contributed to Carter not being re-elected, Ettinger responded that Carter’s perspective also impacted domestic issues, dragging the Democratic Party far left and contributing to his defeat by Republican Ronald Reagan, significantly influencing the rise of conservative views in America.

“Carter’s election victory occurred amid Vietnam War discontent and anger at American leadership, following the brief Ford presidency after Nixon’s resignation, and Americans saw Carter’s election as a beacon of hope. It was a call which unfortunately he didn’t fulfill,” Ettinger noted.

Ettinger stressed the fundamental change Carter initiated in the Middle East, turning Iran from America’s Middle Eastern policeman into a major enemy, fostering terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, advanced weaponry, and more worldwide. Carter, though not solely responsible, gave substantial backing to the Ayatollah regime.

Ettinger describes how Khomeini won Carter’s trust, sending peaceful messages, which Carter accepted, and restraining the Iranian military’s response. Khomeini exploited this restraint to succeed in his mission, leading to the Tehran hostage crisis.

Ettinger concluded by saying, “Carter’s legacy is crucial, especially considering how it still impacts perceptions in Israel towards the US State Department.”

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