Anna Baltzer
Encyclopedia
Anna Baltzer is a Jewish-American
activist for Palestinian
human rights
, author
, and public speaker, known for taking positions counter to the Israeli government regarding the Palestinian territories
, including the wall/fence
and checkpoints
. Baltzer’s grandparents survived the Holocaust.
in 2003 while on a Fulbright grant to teach English in Ankara, Turkey. Since then, she has traveled to the West Bank
as a volunteer for the International Women's Peace Service to as she describes, document human rights abuses and support nonviolent resistance
. Her publications have documented eight months of human conditions while on assignment in the West Bank
for the International Women’s Peace Service.
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 personal experiences, observations, and photographs from eight months of documenting what she described as 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”, 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", has also written about Baltzer's book.
On October 28, 2009, Baltzer was a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
, along side Mustafa Barghouti
.
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
. Baltzer first went to Israel
on a free birthright trip
in January 2000, where she saw "a beautiful picture of Israel" but nothing of what was happening to the 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." Controversial political artist, cartoonist
, and illustrator
Ben Heine, has reflected Anna Baltzer's political activism into an illustration inspired by Michelangelo's Pietà
called "Palestinian Pieta"..jpg)
(CAMERA), a pro-Israel media watchdog group
, which described her as "Chomsky Lite" and condemned Baltzer's "baseless distortion" of "Zionism
as a racist movement".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
activist for Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and public speaker, known for taking positions counter to the Israeli government regarding the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, including the wall/fence
Israeli West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
and checkpoints
Civilian checkpoint
Civilian checkpoints or Security checkpoints are distinguishable from border or frontier checkpoints in that they are erected and enforced within contiguous areas under military or paramilitary control...
. Baltzer’s grandparents survived the Holocaust.
Overview
Baltzer first traveled to the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in 2003 while on a Fulbright grant to teach English in Ankara, Turkey. Since then, she has traveled to the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
as a volunteer for the International Women's Peace Service to as she describes, document human rights abuses and support nonviolent resistance
Nonviolent resistance
Nonviolent resistance is the practice of achieving goals through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, and other methods, without using violence. It is largely synonymous with civil resistance...
. Her publications have documented eight months of human conditions while on assignment in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
for the International Women’s Peace Service.
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 personal experiences, observations, and photographs from eight months of documenting what she described as human rights violations in the West Bank. Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
’s review of Baltzer's book states, "Even those who are familiar with the grim reality of the occupied territories
Israeli-occupied territories
The Israeli-occupied territories are the territories which have been designated as occupied territory by the United Nations and other international organizations, governments and others to refer to the territory seized by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967 from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria...
will quickly be drawn into a world they had barely imagined by these vivid, searingly honest, intensely acute portrayals”, while Tanya Reinhart
Tanya Reinhart
Tanya Reinhart was an Israeli linguist who wrote frequently on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She contributed columns to the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot and longer articles to the CounterPunch, Znet, and Israeli Indymedia websites....
author of "Roadmap to Nowhere" call it "Moving and vivid.” Mark Chmiel, teacher at St. Louis University and Webster University
Webster University
Webster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
and author of "Elie Wiesel and the Politics of Moral Leadership", has also written about Baltzer's book.
On October 28, 2009, Baltzer was a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, along side Mustafa Barghouti
Mustafa Barghouti
Mustafa Barghouti is a Palestinian democracy activist. He was a candidate for the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority in 2005, finishing second to Mahmoud Abbas, with 19% of the vote.Barghouti was born in Jerusalem...
.
Political activism
Baltzer's activism centers around nonviolent protests, as well as providing documented information to those interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflictIsraeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
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
Media of the United States
Media of the United States consist of several different types of communications media: television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Web sites. The U.S...
. Baltzer first went to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
on a free birthright trip
Birthright Israel
Taglit-Birthright Israel is a Jewish Israeli registered charity that sponsors free 10-day heritage trips to Israel. Birthright Israel's goals are to diminish the division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world and to strengthen participants' personal Jewish identity and...
in January 2000, where she saw "a beautiful picture of Israel" but nothing of what was happening to the 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
Israel Policy Forum
The Israel Policy Forum is a New York, NY based American Jewish organization that works for a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The organization lobbies American policymakers in support of this goal and writes opinion pieces that have appeared in many Jewish and non-Jewish...
, it doesn’t mean she is anti-Jewish." Controversial political artist, cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
Ben Heine, has reflected Anna Baltzer's political activism into an illustration inspired by Michelangelo's Pietà
Pietà (Michelangelo)
The Pietà is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. It is the first of a number of works of the same theme by the artist. The statue was commissioned for the French cardinal Jean de Billheres, who was a representative in...
called "Palestinian Pieta".
Criticism
Baltzer has been criticized by Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in AmericaCommittee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America is an American non-profit pro-Israel media watchdog group. The group says it was founded in 1982 "to respond to the Washington Post's coverage of Israel's Lebanon incursion", and to respond to what it considers the media's "general...
(CAMERA), a pro-Israel media watchdog group
Watchdog journalism
Watchdog journalism aims to hold accountable public personalities and institutions, whose functions impact social and political life. The term "lapdog journalism", for journalism biased in favour of personalities and institutions, is sometimes used as a conceptual opposite to watchdog...
, which described her as "Chomsky Lite" and condemned Baltzer's "baseless distortion" of "Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
as a racist movement".
Further reading
- Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories (Updated & revised ed.), Anna Baltzer, Paradigm Publishers, 2007, paperback, 400 pp.
- "Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness Stories & Photos", Matt Quinn (journalist for Citizens for Justice in the Middle East) on Anna Baltzer.