In a move that calls back to the attempt by Texas cattlemen to sue Oprah Winfrey for “defamation of beef.” an Israeli lawyer has filed a class-action lawsuit against former President Jimmy Carter, seeking $5 million in damages because his book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” allegedly defamed Israel.
Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner insisted that Carter’s book violated New York State’s Consumer Protection Laws by asserting things, largely that Israel was not inherently reasonable and Syria was not inherently unreasonable, that “even a child” knows is untrue.
The suit went on to condemn Carter, saying he had an “agenda of anti-Israel propaganda” and condemned publisher Simon and Shuster for advertising the book as a work on non-fiction. The legal complaint insists Carter has the right to publish a book “to put forward his virulent anti-Israel bias” but insisted that such a book could only be sold as a work of fiction.
Lawsuits against authors alleging “defamation” of the government or a key ally, though common in some Mideast dictatorships, have never been particulary common nor successful in the United States. Likewise, it does not appear that New York’s Consumer Protection Law explicitly forbids criticism of Israel in a work of non-fiction, though if true this would surely make for an interesting Constitutional challenge to such a law.
Simon and Schuster spokesman Adam Rothberg condemned the lawsuit as a “chillling attack on free speech” and promised that the company would oppose it in court. Former President Carter has yet to comment.
seems a little desperate on the israeli side
They are really going off the deep end!
To play Smullyan's Knights and Knaves in Newspeak: I rarely, if ever, see the word 'virulent' outside of claims of anti-Semitism. It's difficult to discern a pure Knight (always tells the truth), or a pure Knave (always lies) –but there's definitely a style that screams Knave… and the word 'virulent' has been an excellent indicator. <“even a child” knows> …so we see that the suit is not to be about proving a case so much as an appeal to imagined consensus. Perhaps the lawyer should present herself as sufficient proof: 'I'm a child, and I know!'
In the last 60 years Israeli propaganda has been so pervasive that the U.S. public has come to believe that what's good for Israel is good for America. Today American foreign policy in the Middle East and beyond is both led and encumbered by that notion. Only in the last five years or so has a flicker of reality begun to seep into the conversation. Accusations against President Carter surely deserve a response that is appropriate to the charges against him : "At long last have you no shame?'
"In the last 60 years Israeli propaganda has been so pervasive that the U.S. public has come to believe that what's good for Israel is good for America."
Thank heaven that with the internet, this is rapidly changing. More of us now see that America has strapped herself to a racist, apartheid state, and no amount of hasbara can continue any longer to hide the ugly truth.
This suit is patently frivolous and should not be able to survive a demurrer for failing to state a cause of action. Carter's political opinions, erroneous or true, are protected by the First Amendment to which consumer protection have no application. Hopefully the court will impose financial sanctions on those bringing this frivolous action.
This is looking mor and more like Stalin's time when people had to parrot the official line only. And all of this corrupted state thanks to Israel.
How do consumers consume Israel as a product?
This idiotic lawsuit should be tossed out immediately as frivolous and that asshole lawyer ordered to reimburse Carter and the court for any expense.
Israel is definitely a product. Endless streams of propaganda telling about its victimization and beautiful accomplishments and deep history and important role in humanity and major role as the only democracy in the Middle East etc. etc.
It's like Disneyland. And dontcha dare look behind the curtain.
In return, lots of money.
"In return, lots of money"
How is it then, that they are America's No1. Welfare Queen…????
welfare hog
Israel should be sued for false adverising when it says it is a democracy.. The lawyer should be sanctioned by the bar for bring forth such idiocy. If I lived in New York I would file a complaint with the bar association myself.
Frivolous – this lawsuit is an abuse of the tort system that is screaming for reform. Carter did not defame Israel, nor is he anti-semitic.
Neither man nor any of his creations are perfect. The only entity capable of perfection is God. To claim that something or someone is above criticism is to assert their perfection– and consequently, their status as a God. That is blasphemy.
The jig is up on the Zionists trying to dictate the unwritten rules of discourse by extortion, I like this particular posting very much but someone I am left feeling quite unsatisfied that the "nobody's perfect" defense is being used on an entity is so so imperfect.
Gosh, now the charge is "anti-Israel" for criticizing a country. We've moved beyond the anti-semitism charge for even saying the word "Jews." I guess it is OK to write about "israel" IF IF IF one speaks in glowing prasing terms of it OR one write that Israel is a victim of some attack, but woe betide the writer who veers from this prescribed narrow path.
Any reference to "Jews" a sthe perpetrators of some attack is ipso facto evidence of anti-semitism and also a sign of conspiracy mania as well. Since the schtick of using the term "anti-semitism" has been used so successfully to "the national Israelis, the Jews" , guess now the weapon is made stronger and expanded to include "anti-Israel."
Israel = Insane
It would have been insane to cobble together ANY theocracy any time after the 16th century and pretend that it could still somehow be part of the western tradition. You can't be a democracy and legally handicap select groups of your own citizens.
Carter is right.
Oh Israel is a product alright- it's a real piece of work, no doubt about it.
I think it's rather humorous that on one hand the western media hypes the reaction of Muslims to the defamation of their religion in the form of cartoons about Muhammad(pbuh) which have no purpose than to intentionally fan the flames of anger… yet on tho other hand the western media dutifully reports an entirely different picture when it is Israel making outrageous claims of defamation.
I was listening to the radio this afternoon, and some talking head was going off about having to "walk on eggshells when it comes to talking about Islam and Muslims, for fear of inciting violent reactions"- but the exact same can be applied to Judaism and Israel ! Ask any Washington politician is he's willing to stand out and publicly criticize Israel or disparage Judaism and see how many hands go up- I'm betting my shirt it won't be many, if ANY. I, for one, don't wish harm to the average Israeli on the street but I cannot wait for Israel as a nation to have the smackdown laid on them by the neighbors they have walked all over for decades. I don't think that's very far off, either.
The book caused the same reaction in me…… After I consumed the book, my stomach began to ache. I was unable to sleep at all that night and went to the emergency room before 6:00 AM.. The receptionists asked me what my problem was…. I told her I had consumed Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. She began to raise her voice and yell, you are supposer to READ books, not consume them…. You my dear boy are crazy and this hospital is going to hold you here for sanity observation…. I told her I was joking and dove out the window…..
Moron has no standing………..
That's what you get for eating it raw! …I can't believe you made it back here in that drafty gown… –er– or that the receptionist made you wear one… …gown -that is -not the book. …man, that's a lot of chewing.
In the pathetic addiction to israel, US has lost the mind and respect towards it's own people who love their country.
If US is realy free as it officialy says, then Nitsana should be banned from the US for life, and in case she is in US , she should be jailed and tried for undermining what US ahd its founders stood for …..
All supporters of Nitsana should have their stay in US revoked for life and their assets freezed….
That Shyster is not unique nor the first to try burning and banning books, Mr, Adolf and Uncle Joe come to mind, Mullahs and of course The "holly" sea.
I agree with the comments that this is frivolous and desperate.
and the second link, the israelnationalnews link, is very poor – the title seems to suggest that Carter has already been foudn guilty.
and the link says the attorney claims that "even a child" knows that "withdrawing from territories" doesn't mean "withdrawing from all territories" is ludicrous ! is that their flagship winge ?
its not obvious that what Carter says there is factually untrue – I think he'd right – so if I see a sign in a park that says "dogs must be kept on a leash" then "even a child" would know that doesn't mean "all" dogs, just "some" dogs – I can leash 2 and let the 3rd run free can I ???
In Europe many laws were passed forbidding people discussing the Holocaust, talking about Naziism and above all, one is not permitted to write or say, 'Zionism is identical to Naziism'. Worse, tell anyone that 'Hitler's Nazi ideology was based directly on imitating Zionist beliefs of ethnic cleansing,' and you get arrested and charged with anti-semitism! This has led the Zionist Jews to hope to have similar gag rules here in the US.
I warned the community of Jewish people (I used to be Mrs. Levy!) that if we allow fascism in Israel, we will have anti-semitic fascism in the US. The Born Again Christians want to drive all the Jews into the Holy Land and then have Jesus come there and kill anyone who doesn't worship him. This is called 'The Apocalypse' and millions of non-Jewish Americans pray for this event to happen.
Why Jews want to help this along baffles me. They should be fighting for free speech, separation of religion and state (!!!!!) and modern ethics sort of citizenship for everyone being equal rather than tribal rules which give one tribe many more rights and privileges than other tribes.
Instead, they chose Naziism.
The problem is there are two Israels one in the middle east and one in Washington, DC. That's too many for one world!
Wow…Philip Giraldi's recent article about the US needing to stop its love affair with Israel before it's too late is such an important article and it definitely applies to this case… http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2011/02/02/ho…
Hilarious until I saw that it was for real. And that Petah Tikva aka "Nitsana Darshan-Leitner" thinks of herself as a human rights activist! Which means, only israelis are human and have rights, the rest of the subhuman world has to submit to whatever rights israelis grant them.
I hope that lawyer has registered as an agent of a foreign power.
BTW, the closest comparison I can think of is the libel action by David Irving against Deborah Lipstadt which destroyed David Irving's credibility (what there was of it) as a "historian".
AIPAC is full of lawyers and has never registered as a foreign agent.
If they can rule by reason they do so by intimdation. Carter is now in the same camp as Rick Sanchez, Helen Thomas, The late Joseph Sobran and all those who dare citicize their real masters.
And Congressman Paul "Those Who Dare to Speak Out" Findley.
There are many Jewish historians who are profoundly critical of Zionist Israel. (Arthur Koetsler, Ilan Pappe, Shlomo Sands to mention just a few.) They were not prosecuted, although some of them have received death threats and it is believed (not proven) that Arthur Koetsler and his wife were murdered by Mossad. Anyway I think I am going to order Jimmy Carters book from Amazone.
If you have high blood pressure make sure you take your medication before you start reading.
More people around the entire world need to know that they are trying to prosecute Carter for speaking his mind. I was never a fan of Mr. Carter, but everyone who cares about free speech needs to support him.
If the case goes forward, and the Court rules what it says is in fact true, Israel does Practice acts that could be considered Aparthied, WHAT are the Applicants going to do?
The truth is, and it was true before Tahrir Square, the oppressive regime of Israel is in bed with the oppressive regime of Egypt who is in bed with the oppressive regime of Saudi Arabia, who is in bed with the warmongers in the US who are in bed Karzai and so on and so on.
The people in the Tahrir Square are all of us, Anglos, Blacks, Jews, Arabs, Russians, Chinese, Indonesians… all those who want peace in our times.
The Bully Regimes are gathering together to push us down or con us into fearing our fellow man.
If you love democracy for all, you need to stand up and let your light shine. The light of goodhearted kindness dissolves the dark mold of tyranny every time.
You know, with so much else going on in the world, I tried, really tried to forget about Zionism just for a little while. Then today, I realized that the Egyptians are burning the free gas pipeline for the benefit of Israel. Then I had to repeat all of the details of why I am against Zionism but then all of the other facts about the State of Israel came rushing forth and I began to feel dizzy and connect all the dots that lead back to Israel as to what is wrong with the world. So I see this headline that Carter is being sued because a Zionist lawyer who has dual-citizenship says that Carter's book should be labeled as fiction. Are you freaking KIDDING? I am done with these freaking people who want all of us to choke at the truth and live a lie for the benefit of a small group of people who are are causing the worst of troubles in our society. I demand that this idiotic behavior of spoiled but ruthless children end now! I can't take another minute of this bullshyte they constantly, constantly want to lock up our minds with. Pure insanity at its worst!!!
Albert Einstein – “Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one.”
Israel, Jews, are part of reality, and form no exception. What is next, sue Einstein?
I hope they DO set a legal precedent with this case — Then I Plan to file a class action suit against the IRS for claiming the income tax law is non-fiction — I bet I can get 250 million additional claimants on that one…
Well if MR.Carter needs personal protection from the filth that is trying to attack him I will be more than happy to assist is his protection. This politicaly correct bullshit must stop, we live in a Republic not a Democracy and there are some of us who will protect those who expose the corruption for what it is.
I for one am sick and tired Israel's bullying those it doesn't agree with. Her is my word to Israel and it's agents, grow up or get out.
Maybe this asshole lawyer forgets that Jimmy Carter is a past PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. What an idiot
A new Hate speech angle. My God given and completely normal Hate of my enemies is not to be tampered with, nor are Mr. Carters. I say all Jews who oppose Germany are engaging in Hate speech. If you criticize Germany, go to jail!!! How about that? Morons.
This is just ANOTHER attempt by Israel to stop criticism of it's Zionist war-mongering policies. israel's AIPAC "owns" Congress and has long strong-armed and threatened them. When JFK tried to declare AIPAC a "foreign" lobby, he was shot. Israeli dual-citizens like Rahm Emanuel have infiltrated the U.S. government in all departments, especially the Obama administration and the military. Zionist Israel intends to "control" the U.S. and milk TAXPAYER funds and military power. They don't care one whit about the American people except as parasitic hosts.
Their Zionists include Janet Napolitano, Chertnoff, Axelrod, Bernanke, Paulson, Geithner, Summers, and hundreds in the Pentagon, especially Air Force. The Pentagon orders brand new aircraft engines and parts, then "salvages" them to give to Israel at low, if any, costs. This has been going on for decades.
Zionist Senator Lieberman who was recently head of the Senate Homeland Insecurity committee, allows Napolitano to do as she pleases – ruin the Gulf water and air in conjunction with the Coast Guard, iintimidate Americans and their children with sexual abuse at airports, send bulletins to police across the country calling returning vets and tea partiers "terrorists", and continue her ABJECT FAILURE IN CONTROLLING THE BORDER. SHE SHOULD BE FIRED! Senator Lieberman also makes it his priority to censor Youtube of any criticism of Israel and to push DADT on our military.
GOOGLE: "dancing Israelis"
GOOGLE: "Israel Did 911 all the proof you need"
Here's an Anderson Cooper article about the Mossad sniping U.S. troops and blowing their limbs off with Israel-manufactured IED's. http://www.federaljack.com/?p=19311
I wasn't going to buy or read his book. But I will now!
But look on the bright side… this is the only way anyone is going to read Carter's book.
Total non-sense!
Jimmy Carter probably regrets brokering the peace treaty. Instead he should have let loose on these idiots.
I would enjoy commenting here however history has shown that censorship and comment manipulation runs rife here.
Youve lost all validity, nice try.
Soon it will be against the law to speak poorly of Satan in this country.
Is there a more respected kind spirit than Jimmy Carter, When Carter passes this man warrants all the adulation being heaped on Reagan by his well enriched constituency. Carter builds homes for the disenfranchised, Israel bulldozes them and sets up their religious fanatics in the land that
had been occupied by generations of the families molested out into the street by the IDF. The whole world is watching, including your own and its embarassing to them. Visit IfAmericansOnlyKnew.com for statistics and truth.
The Israelis have behaved so badly for the last 63 years, about the only way you can defend what they have done is by jumping up and down and shouting “anti-Semite!”. Carter is like a long suffering father trying to get his twin children to take their chemotherapy. Neither of them want it. Both think the father is being unfair.Yet he is doing this thankless task for their benefit.