An advocate for Palestinian peace visited Binghamton University on Thursday to present to students and faculty “The Middle East Conflict,” a presentation in which eyewitness accounts of human rights abuses in the West Bank were shared through stories and photographs.
In opening her presentation, Anna Baltzer, a Jewish-American was sure to define certain terms like “Jewish,” Israeli” and “Zionist.” She elaborated that “there’s nothing Jewish about violating people’s rights and there’s nothing anti-Jewish about speaking out.”
Baltzer was brought to BU after approaching history professor Donald Quataert.
The event was sponsored by the history department and the department for Judaic studies, and coordinated by Quataert.
“It’s a nice opportunity for the University to learn about a subject that’s in the news a lot, but one that people don’t know much about,” Quartaert said.
At the start of the presentation, Baltzer clearly stated her position against violence.
“I’m against the targeting of citizens, whether they be Israeli or Palestinian,” she said.
Baltzer began by discussing the issue of Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank, as well as the conditions of segregated roads in the area.
She explained that the checkpoints hinder Palestinians from traveling with any degree of efficiency, making it hard for individuals to hold a job, seek a University education or get medical help.
Another issue she addressed was Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. The Israeli government offers financial incentives to its people to move to the settlements. Baltzer compared the settlements to colonies because they infringe on the rights of the native people, the Palestinians.
She added that “a majority of Israelis are critical of or outright oppose the occupation.”
Baltzer suggested to the audience that it was necessary to get more involved with the issue because of the U.S. government’s role in the conflict.
According to Baltzer, the U.S. gives Israel more than $10 million per day and that, according to U.N. standards, Israel is violating more human rights laws than any other country.
“We need to know where our tax dollars are going,” she said.
According to Quataert, Baltzer “tells you the way things are and lets you decide your position based on the facts.”
Baltzer holds a degree from Columbia University and is a former Fulbright scholar. She worked in the West Bank with the International Women’s Peace Service, which drastically changed her traditionally American views of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. She has since spoken out in lectures, interviews and television appearances across the country.
Baltzer concluded her lecture by taking questions from the audience. She responded to a wide variety of questions on the issues of Palestinian government, terrorism, language barriers, the definition of refugees and propaganda on either side of the conflict.
To learn more about Anna Baltzer’s work, she has a book published entitled “A Witness in Palestine.”