Jimmy Carter supported Swiss-backed peace effort for Middle East

"We are very grateful to Switzerland," Carter told the press in relation to the Geneva Initiative for peace in the Middle East. Keystone-SDA

Former United States President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday, maintained close ties with Switzerland. In 1960, he took part in the Bilderberg Conference on the Bürgenstock, a meeting of influential personalities from politics and business.

In 2003, Carter also campaigned for the Geneva Initiative, a peace initiative supported by Switzerland to resolve the Middle East conflict.

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In an interview at the time, Carter said that the Geneva Initiative, which came about with Switzerland’s financial and logistical support, and which was launched by unofficial representatives of Israel and the Palestinians, was compatible with the final goal of the so-called “roadmap”.

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“What the Geneva Initiative provides for is perfectly and precisely compatible with the ultimate objective of the roadmap and the 1993 Oslo agreements”, said the former Democratic president at the time, pointing to an “important” and “potentially useful” text. However, he felt that the “roadmap” was dead, “killed” by a phase-by-phase implementation.

‘We are very grateful to Switzerland’

“We are very grateful to Switzerland,” Carter added, praising the role of the Swiss foreign ministry in bringing about the Geneva Initiative. The initiative was officially launched in Geneva in December 2003 in front of around 800 guests.

In addition to Carter, the guests included Nobel Peace Prize laureates Lech Walesa, John Hume and Nelson Mandela, who was present via video message. The then-Swiss foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey, received the document after the signing ceremony and officially deposited it in Switzerland.

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Twenty years later, at the end of 2023, Switzerland withdrew its financial support from the Geneva Initiative. A new evaluation in 2020 concluded that its effectiveness had diminished due to a lack of political support in both Israel and Palestine.

Carter, who was known for his tireless commitment to peace and human rights, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His commitment radiated far beyond his presidency.

Translated from German with DeepL/gw

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