JEWS FOR JIMMY We the undersigned Jews reject the attempt to dismiss Jimmy Carter\'s critique of Israeli policy toward Palestinians as anti-Semitic. The tendency by a section of the organized Jewish community to respond to criticisms of Israeli policy by attacking and attempting to discredit the people raising those criticisms--Jews are labeled as \"self-hating\" and non-Jews as \"anti-Semitic\"--is not only morally reprehensible, but also self-destructive. Too many Jews walk away from the organized Jewish community precisely because it treats dissent with this kind of disrespect. And too many non-Jews of good will, people who would otherwise be supportive of our safety and who would fight against anti-Semitism, may become genuinely angry at the Jewish people if Jews continue to place criticism of Israeli policies toward Palestinians outside the realm of permissible discourse. The suppression of debate and the blanket rejection of any vigorous criticism of Israeli policies must stop. The message that the Jewish community gives to elected officials that they will be labeled \"anti-Israel\" if they have criticisms of the Occupation of the West Bank or of Israeli human rights violations, must stop. Unless it stops, true anti-Semitism cannot be fought effectively, because the larger community will be so used to Jews throwing the term around to include many who consider themselves pro-Jewish and pro-Israel that they will find it hard to take those charges seriously when they are actually true. President Jimmy Carter, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for helping Israel and Egypt negotiate a lasting peace, is a perfect example of a non-Jew who has no hatred of the Jewish people, but does have strong and legitimate criticisms of Israeli policy. Debating the content of his critique is expected and encouraged; attacking him as an anti-Semite, like all similar attempts to demean and undermine the legitimacy of others with strong criticisms of Israeli policies, must stop. We acknowledge the tireless efforts of President Jimmy Carter to create a just and lasting peace in the Middle East and do not subscribe to the notion that his book Palestine: Peace or Apartheid constitutes a deviation from his undying committment to peace. Debate: Good for the Jews. Careless use of the term \"anti-Semite\": not good for the Jews. PLEASE NOTE THAT AFTER YOU SIGN YOU\'LL BE BROUGHT TO A DONATION SCREEN WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PETITION BUT IS FOR THE WEBSITE HOSTING THIS PETITION. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR DONATIONS WITH THIS PETITION, JUST SIGNATURES, SO CLICK \"CONTINUE\" TO BYPASS DONATION SCREEN.

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