I Like You More, But I'm Still Not Putting on a Sweater

It's a shame that a former U.S. President has to take up the cause of peace and diplomacy because the sitting President is too lazy to do his job. Anyway, Jimmy Carter has a great op-ed on the crisis in the Middle East in today's Washington Post.

A major impediment to progress is Washington's strange policy that dialogue on controversial issues will be extended only as a reward for subservient behavior and will be withheld from those who reject U.S. assertions. Direct engagement with the Palestine Liberation Organization or the Palestinian Authority and the government in Damascus will be necessary if secure negotiated settlements are to be achieved. Failure to address the issues and leaders involved risks the creation of an arc of even greater instability running from Jerusalem through Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad and Tehran.

The people of the Middle East deserve peace and justice, and we in the international community owe them our strong leadership and support.