As Palestinians endure the darkest chapter in our history—facing insurmountable suffering and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, where the death toll has become uncountable—we also mourn the loss of a true ally and friend. Jimmy Carter, the former U.S. President who dedicated much of his life to advocating for the Palestinian people, passed away on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100. We extend our deepest prayers, thoughts and condolences to his family and loved ones.

President Carter will be remembered for his courage to support the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and for being the first, and only U.S. President to recognise Israel as an apartheid state in his 2007 publication “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid”.

President Carter’s ties with Al-Haq spanned decades. On Al-Haq’s 40th anniversary commemoration in 2019, President Carter released a statement which said:

“I have followed closely the trajectory of Al-Haq since the early days…Since 1979, Al-Haq has been a pioneer in the Middle East in the struggle for justice through international law and human rights.”

In 1989, President Carter spoke out against the unlawful detainment without charge of Shawan Jabarin, current General Director of Al-Haq, and personally urged the Israeli authorities to release him. Mr. Jabarin recounts with emotion how he was in Ktzi’ot Israeli military detention when he saw a photo of his 4-month-old son for the first time. Printed in a local newspaper, the photo showed baby Muntasar, who was born during Mr. Jabarin’s detention, cradled by President Carter. The photo was captured when President Carter came to Jerusalem in 1990 to present Carter-Menil Human Rights Award to Al-Haq and B’tselem.

​​President Carter’s words from his 1990 address during the awards, sadly are still applicable to this day to Palestinian people living under Israel’s settler-colonial apartheid regime. He drew attention to the humiliation and suffering of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.  He said:

“They cannot vote, they cannot assemble peacefully, they cannot choose their own leaders, they cannot travel without restrictions, they cannot operate their own schools, they cannot own property without risking its confiscation through a multitude of legal ruses. Some of these families – Christian and Moslem – have cultivated the same hillsides since the time of Christ. Now they are often forbidden to replace a barren olive tree, to deepen a dried up well, or to market their fruit in competition with their dominant neighbors.”

At Al-Haq, we will remember President Carter for his courage and support in the struggle for justice and peace for the Palestinian people, which will remain forever in his legacy.