Jewish author examines peace in Middle East

An award-winning Jewish/American author involved in the nonviolence movement for peace in Palestine will speak at USQ Toowoomba this Wednesday, October 27.

Anna Baltzer, a former Fullbright scholar, Columbia University graduate, author and granddaughter of Holocaust refugees, will give her acclaimed presentation 'Is peace in the Middle East possible?', featuring eyewitness reports on the conflict.

The free presentation, to be held at USQ in L206, is open to the public and begins at 12.30pm.

Raised with a traditional view on the issue, Ms Baltzer’s perspective changed when she moved to the West Bank to work with nonviolent Palestinians and Israelis.

Ms Baltzer’s public campaign for coexistence and insistence on honest reporting has led to more than 200 television appearances and lectures at more than 500 universities, churches, synagogues, mosques, think tanks, and other policy institutes around the world.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Research Journalism Institute, Grassroots Jerusalem, and The Council for the National Interest.

The presentation 'Life in Occupied Palestine: Eye Witness Stories and Photos' provides an introduction to the occupation in Palestine and the nonviolent movement for freedom and equality in the Holy Land.

Through personal stories, Ms Baltzer describes the human rights abuses Palestinians face daily in the Israeli-occupied West Bank: The humiliation of endless waiting at checkpoints, the devastation of home demolitions to make way for illegal Israeli settlements and the foreboding Separation Wall, the impact on the environment and the struggle to maintain dignity in the face of relentless oppression.

She particularly focuses on the steadfastness and courage of ordinary Palestinians non-violently resisting the usurpation of their land as well as Israeli activism and what can be done globally towards taking informed action, such as boycott, divestment and sanctions.

The presentation is replete with photographic documentation and critical information on issues Ms Baltzer believes are often misrepresented and ignored in the Western media.

USQ Associate Lecturer in Business Management, Mr Gerard Betros, said the presentation was part of a 'global issues' series of public lectures sponsored by the USQ Multicultural Centre.