Dershowitz thanks Brandeis for letting him speak. He thinks a debate would have been better and more informative (audience applause).
Carter used it to make clear and clarify matter's related to the book. The book and TV interviews were quite different then what Carter said today on stage.
He said he wished he could work with Carter to bring about peace in Israel.
Both favor a two-state solution, end of settlements, etc. Dershowitz is not a defender of every single policy.
Says to read the Israeli newspapers. Visit Israel.
Talks of how he first met President Carter. Gives him credit for accomplishments.
Both are pro-Israel and pro-Palestine. Would like both states living side by side in peace. A safe and secure Israel that does not have to worry about terrorism.
Some things absent from Carter's speech that were absent:
Dershowitz agrees with the Clinton-Barak offer from either 1997 or 2000. Dershowitz supports the Camp David Accord but Carter rejects it. If Palestinians had accepted it, we wouldn't have had the second intifada.
Dershowitz believes it is a self-inflicted wound. The Palestinians had a state in 1948 but rejected it. They could have had a state, they said no. They could have had one in 1967 (excluded from the book). Israel accepted 242 but the Arab states denied it.
They could have had one in 2000 and 2001. They said no. It would have been a contiguous states (see Dennis Ross' book). Clinton and Ross are telling the truth and that Arafat's refusal to accept was a crime--this was excluded from Carter's book.
Dershowitz was in the audience during Carter's speech. Quote's Brinkley on Carter working with Arafat in the 1990s. Answer the question: Were you ever asked to give your advice on Camp David...did you advise Arafat to turn down the offer? If the answer is yes, to what extent is Carter responsible?
Wonders if he influenced them on turning down Olmert's offer. Thinks he is pressuring Palestinians to not compromise for peace. Dershowitz believes Israel should give some territory to the Palestinians. Dershowitz helped Goldberg draft 242. Purposely left out the before territories. Insists on reciprocity only on condition that they are recognized by the Arab states.
The Arab plan called for a return of all the Palestinian refugees which would turn it into a radical Islamic state. Israel will not, could not, and should not accept this offer from 2002. Nothing was mentioned today.
Israel tried land for peace. This never worked. They gave back Gaza and eliminated check points. Many Israelis are reluctant to give up the West Bank because of rocket attacks. Carter thinks it is simple. It's not.
Carter left out Iran today. Not a mention of a nuclear power threatening to annihilate Israel. Palestinians cheered the SCUD's during the first gulf war. Carter didn't talk much about Hezbollah. They hide behind civillians and fire rockets on civillians.
Heard simplicity, not complexity.
They had to put a wall due to snipers. The wall is justified by the need to prevent terror. The wall was the idea of the peaceniks. Would like to see the wall and fence come down.
Carter thinks Israel's future should be left in the hands of Russia, UN, and EU. The UN is the same one that won't let Israel serve on the Security Council. They said Zionism was racism. Nothing against Libya or Syria. UN was so one-sided. Russia has their own problems and doing everything to not sanction Iran. He joins with Carter to try and start negotiations again. Palestinian legislature is dominated by Hamas, whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel. Dershowitz believes in democracy. The electoral success of Hamas have consequences in that other countries don't give money to groups that buy rockets. Carter is wrong that Hamas doesn't fire rockets any more. Dershowitz then reads off a list.
Carter says rockets should not be equated with terrorism. Today, he corrected it.
There are two different Jimmy Carter's: the one on Al-Jazeera and the one at Brandeis.
Ends with Peace, Shalom, Salaam. Large applause
Now takes questions from audience.
ETA: Here is this update from the Boston Globe on today's event's.
"This is the first time that I’ve ever been called a liar, and a bigot, and an anti-Semite, and a coward, and a plagiarist," Carter said to a hushed audience at the predominantly Jewish university, referring to the reaction to his book.[...]
In response to a question, Carter apologized for a sentence in his book that he acknowledged seemed to justify terrorism by saying that suicide bombings should end when Israel accepts the goals of the roadmap to peace with Palestinians.
"That sentence was worded in a completely improper and stupid way," Carter said. "I’ve written my publishers to change that sentence immediately in future editions of the book. I apologize to you personally and to everyone here."
But he defended the use of the word "apartheid" in his book title.
"I realize that this has caused great concern in the Jewish community," he said. "The title makes it clear that the book is about conditions and events in the Palestinian territory and not in Israel. And the text makes clear on numerous occasions that the forced separation and the domination of Arabs by Israelis is not based on race."
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