Anna Baltzer

Anna Baltzer

Baltzer at Columbia University, New York in 2008
Born 1979 (age 36–37)
Nationality American
Alma mater Columbia University
Occupation Public speaker
Known for pro-Palestinian activism
Website http://www.annainthemiddleeast.com/

Anna Baltzer (born 1979) is a Jewish-American public speaker, author and activist for Palestinian human rights.[1]

Overview

After graduating from Columbia, Baltzer traveled to the Middle East in 2003 on a Fulbright grant to teach English in Ankara, Turkey.[2] Since then, she has traveled to the West Bank as a volunteer for the International Women's Peace Service to document human rights abuses and support nonviolent resistance. Her publications have documented Palestinian living conditions while on assignment in the West Bank for the International Women’s Peace Service.[3]

Since the summer of 2005, she has been touring around the United States and abroad with a presentation and has written a book (Witness in Palestine) describing her experiences, observations, and photographs from eight months of documenting human rights violations in the West Bank. Noam Chomsky’s review of Baltzer's book states, "Even those who are familiar with the grim reality of the occupied territories will quickly be drawn into a world they had barely imagined by these vivid, searingly honest, intensely acute portrayals”,[4] while Tanya Reinhart author of "Roadmap to Nowhere" call it "Moving and vivid.” Mark Chmiel, teacher at St. Louis University and Webster University and author of "Elie Wiesel and the Politics of Moral Leadership",[5] has also written about Baltzer's book.[6]

On October 28, 2009, Baltzer was a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, alongside Mustafa Barghouti.[7]

Political activism

Baltzer's activism centers around nonviolent protests, as well as providing documented information to those interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for the purpose of education and encouraging dialogue towards taking action on the issues. She claims that critical information doesn't show up in the United States mainstream media.[8] According to Balzter's own account, when she first went to Israel on a free birthright trip in January 2000, she saw "a beautiful picture of Israel" but nothing of what was happening to Palestinians. "A Jewish student-life coordinator at Hillel, called the SJP event very well organized and well attended. It seemed very non-threatening and very non-violent. (Speaker) Baltzer made an extra special point that just because she was anti-Israeli policy, it doesn’t mean she is anti-Jewish." [9]

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ "About Anna Baltzer". AnnaInTheMiddleEast.com.
  2. ↑ "Peacemaking Workshop explores Mideast conflict". Journalstar.com. 2009-04-01. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  3. ↑ Lawrence Davidson (2007-10-10). "Caliber - Journal of Palestine Studies - 36(4):112 - Citation". Caliber.ucpress.net. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  4. ↑ http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/ChomskybookreviewonBaltzer.JPG
  5. ↑ http://www.ctsastl.org/site/mission.php
  6. ↑ "Caliber - Journal of Palestine Studies - 36(4):i - Citation". Caliber.ucpress.net. 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  7. ↑ "Video: Exclusive - Anna Baltzer & Mustafa Barghouti Extended Interview Pt. 1 | The Daily Show | Comedy Central". The Daily Show. 2009-10-28. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  8. ↑ Michael Nuñez. "Speaker addresses Palestinian-Israeli conflict". Columbia Missourian. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  9. ↑ "> Archives > News > Local > Pro-palestinian group at Case hosts 1st event". Cleveland Jewish News. 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  10. ↑ Witness in Palestine: journal of a ... - Google Books. Books.google.com. 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  11. ↑ "Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness Stories and Photos (2005)". CJME. 2009-08-31. Archived from the original on 26 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-09.

External links

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