As president, Jimmy Carter brokered the peace agreement that removed Israel’s most powerful enemy from the battlefield.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli troops routinely detain Palestinians who organize or take part in protests. Critics say such measures leave the Palestinians with no choice but to accept permanent military rule or resort to violence. More than 50 years after occupying the West Bank, Israel is still systematically denying Palestinians civil rights, including the right to gather, Human Rights Watch said in a report released last month. One candidate for such a title might be Abu Rahma, who for several years organized weekly protests outside his West Bank village of Bilin against Israel's controversial separation barrier. As a Palestinian, he is governed by Israeli military law, while the Jewish settlers in Hebron enjoy full rights as Israeli citizens.