Baltzer is a Jewish-American Columbia graduate, former Fulbright scholar and the granddaughter of Holocaust refugees. She will present slides and stories describing her first-hand experience documenting human rights abuses in the West Bank and supporting Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation.
Pat Carmeli, Cazenovia resident and member of the group CNY Working for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel, credits Baltzer’s visit to the success of previous local events.
“The last viewing [of a video by Baltzer] was held at the Cazenovia library to an impressive showing of local residents. The feedback was so positive that we decided to host a visit by the writer/documentarian to come to the area to speak and answer questions directly,” Carmeli said.
The group hopes to raise awareness and support for the Palestinian side of the conflict.
“Our main reason and goal — to reach and educate the public — is because our tax money directly provides overwhelming support of Israel’s military. We believe that with a clearer picture of the realities of life under occupation, the American people will pressure officials for a change in policy,” Carmeli said.
Baltzer has appeared on television more than 100 times and lectured at more than 400 universities, schools, churches, mosques, and synogogues around the world with her acclaimed presentation, "Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness Stories & Photos", and her full-color book: “Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories.” In 2009 Baltzer received the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee's prestigious Annual Rachel Corrie Peace and Justice Award.
Baltzer will be interviewed on “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central at 11 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 28.
Tuesday’s event will include a presentation and question and answer session. There will also be books, DVDs, Palestinian olive oil, soap and couscous for sale.
For more information, visit AnnaInTheMiddleEast.com.
