The demonization of the Carter Administration by the right is understandable, but I never understood why so many pro Israeli Jews joined in that chorus. Not just hard core Zionist, but also many otherwise progressive people. I wonder if there is still some lingering resentment that Israel gave up the Sinai. It is a real puzzle.

There is a reason why Barack Obama refused to be in the same frame with Carter before the election. I than G-d his views as to the Mideast will be as ignored by President Obama, Vice President Biden and Secretary of State Clinton as they were by the last President Bush.

The response you note is immanently predictable. For many "pro-Israelis", the worst thing you can do is actually advance Israeli interests by promoting peace and stability in the region. If it doesn't involve blowing up Arabs, they are against it. Frankly, with "friends" like that, Israel doesn't need enemies.

It's unfortunate. Truman was a very good President.

But that was a pretty big mistake, in retrospect.

What’s more disturbing: Carter’s contention that Hamas would accept “any” peace agreement negotiated between Israel and Mahmoud Abbas, or his apparent belief that Hamas was building a harmless “defensive” tunnel in Gaza? Either way, Jimmy’s musings make you wonder whether he got the memo—or, in this case, the many memos on Hamas’s historic refusal to recognize Israel and use of tunnels for transporting offensive weapons.

The animus towards Jimmy Carter with respect to Israel has to do with his consistently being an apologist for Palestinian terrorism. He was indeed a prime force behind the successful Camp David Accords, and it's possible that some wingnuts are pissed off about the Sinai.

But while his actions as president may have been in Israel's interest, his post-presidential activities have been anything but. He has lent the prestige of the US presidency (yes, there is still some) to the notion that Palestinian terrorism can always be explained, but Israeli actions can never be. In his writings, he almost always is careful not to offend Palestinian sensibilities, but rarely takes the same care for Israelis. He dwells on Palestinian suffering, but spends barely any time at all showing sympathy for the victims of Palestinian terrorism. He consistently holds Israel to a standard of pacifism that is utterly unrealistic, yet he holds the Palestinians to no standard at all. He very often takes the statements of Palestinian leaders at face value, but is inclined to be skeptical of Israeli leaders. While calling him an Israel-hater may be a bit over the top there is no question that he is, in short, extremely biased.

There are plenty of American politicians and public figures that are critical of Israel. But because of his egregious bias, Carter comes in for special opprobrium.