American Hummus

This is a great example of how Wolf Blitzer, and many like him inthe main stream US media, perpetuate misinformation regarding Israel and Palestine.

In one interview Jimmy Carter had to correct Wolf Blitzer four times on information Wolf was trying to pass off as fact. The misinformation was embedded in the questions. Usually this happens with people who do not have the authority to correct the interviewer, or they lack the credibility to be believed over the pundits, or they simply don’t have the time to address every point.

The most important aspect of this interview was the fact that with each correction that President Carter made, it was obvious that Wolf already knew the truth. His attempt to impart misinformation appeared to be calculated and deliberate.

President Carter was not having any of it and was prepared for the tactic. He also has the authority and the credibility to challenge Wolf and the misinformation campaign of CNN.

What was most disturbing about Wolf Blitzer’s interview of President Carter was that Wolf knew that what he was saying was completely untrue. Yet with each exposure, he still tried to spin a little more.

Carter also “clarified” claims President Clinton made in his book about Camp David and Taba. Clinton was one of the primary perpetrators of the myth that Arafat turned down a “generous offer”. In his book, he completely blames Arafat for the failure of Camp David, Taba, and Clinton’s peace effort.

For a thorough and honest account of what actually happened at Camp David and with the so called “generous offer”, read Robert Malley and Hussein Agha in the New York Review of Books.

Had there been, in hindsight, a generous Israeli offer? Ask a member of the American team, and an honest answer might be that there was a moving target of ideas, fluctuating impressions of the deal the US could sell to the two sides, a work in progress that reacted (and therefore was vulnerable) to the pressures and persuasion of both. Ask Barak, and he might volunteer that there was no Israeli offer and, besides, Arafat rejected it. Ask Arafat, and the response you might hear is that there was no offer; besides, it was unacceptable; that said, it had better remain on the table