Jimmy Carter to Jews: Hey, sorry for being so critical

He said he was offering an Al Het, a prayer said on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. It signifies a plea for forgiveness.

“We must not permit criticisms for improvement to stigmatize Israel,” Mr. Carter said in the letter, which was first sent to JTA, a wire service for Jewish newspapers, and provided Wednesday to the Associated Press. “As I would have noted at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but which is appropriate at any time of the year, I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so.”