Carter’s views on Mideast politics
Re “Carter calls on students to unite,” May 4
As I looked at the history of the Middle East, I found that Jimmy Carter was president when the shah of Iran was overthrown and the Ayatollah Khomeini became the head of the Iranian government. At the same time, Saddam Hussein, with the tacit approval of our government, came to power in Iraq. The Iran hostage crisis arose and Carter’s inability to deal with it was one cause of his failure to win reelection.
Why would anyone today give credence to his assessment of Middle East politics?
ARTHUR FRIEDMAN
Newport Beach
*
Carter has challenged young people to go see the occupied Palestinian territories, then start talking to each other.
I have seen the territories, and he is right. One cannot understand how corrosive the occupation is until one sees it. Supporters of Israel claim that apartheid is an extreme term to describe the situation, but Bishop Desmond Tutu, who knows something about apartheid, has described the situation as similar to conditions he saw in South Africa.
So I challenge any who want to know the truth to visit the territories, not just Israel.
ERICA HAHN
Huntington Beach
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
