KEY POINTS:
ATLANTA - A new book by Jimmy Carter in which he compares Israel's treatment of Palestinians to South Africa's apartheid system has sparked a bitter debate over the former US President's reputation as a peacemaker.
Jewish groups have expressed outrage at the book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, arguing its comparison of Israel to the racist South African regime could undermine the perception of Israel's legitimacy.
Carter, 82, has been dogged by protests during a promotional tour and Ken Stein, a long-time adviser on Middle East issues who was also the first executive director at the Carter Centre in Atlanta, resigned over the book's content.
Stein cited a passage from the book that said it was imperative for Arabs and Palestinians to "make it clear that they will end the suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for peace are accepted by Israel."
Stein said: "Does that mean killing Jews is legitimate? Did I misread this? I don't think so.
"If he wrote it, he is endorsing violence, which is not the original purpose of the Carter Centre."
But Douglas Brinkley, who published a biography of Carter focusing on his post-presidential years, said the book could enhance Carter's reputation in the Middle East and beyond among those who saw him as an independent voice.
In the book, Carter, who won the Nobel peace prize in 2002 for conflict resolution, traces the history of the Middle East from the 19th century to the present through the Camp David Accords in 1978, a year into his presidency.
He was governor of Georgia before launching his bid for the White House, and is widely seen as the state's leading citizen.
- REUTERS
