Customer Reviews

Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories

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Anna Baltzer's story should rise loud and clear above today's terrorist grabbing headlines. That of nonviolent resistance and daily hardships of the Palestinian people doing there best to maintain their dignity while living under occupation. Neverending checkpoints, extremist settlers and wall annexation won't stop them from carrying out their daily lives the best they can. The presence of Internationals and Israeli activists make like more bearable and events run more smoothly and peacefully. What is life like for the average Palestinian, Anna describes this very well. A harrowing and necessary read for anyone interestd in equality and peace in the holy land. After reading, I feel ready to pack my bags, go and be an international peace worker in Palestine.

Though I consider myself a Zionist, even having been to Israel, I had no idea how badly the Palestinians were being treated by the Israelis. Anna's eye witness account describes conditions that I have read in no other publication. The Wall, which I applauded as a necessary security device, seems to be used as an Israeli land grab in addition to being a means of harassing the Palestinians. I believe that she's doing us a service with her lectures and her writings. I recommend it.

I just recently attended a lecture by Anna Baltzer on this same issue, and I was absolutely shocked. The information she presented was so alien to what I usually expected (I knew life for the Palestinians was hard, but I really didn't know what that meant). Do not expect a sweeping documentary of the whole situation and conflict - this is HER perspective based on HER experiences. Yes, there are Palestinians who blow themselves up in an attempt to kill Jewish Israelis. But this book isn't about those people - this book is about the hundreds of thousands of regular Palestinian people, people like you and me, who just want to live their lives like anybody else, but are unable.

This book was an eye-opener for me. Like most Americans, I had heard all about Palestinian violence but had no idea how extensive and organized the Palestinian non-violent civil rights movement is. Also, though I had done enough reading to realize that Israel has been unnecessarily brutal to the Palestinians, I was not fully aware of the systematic and daily nature of the violence, extending into every facet of life in occupied Palestine. The ability of so many Palestinians to remain non-violent in the face of the arbitrary and capricious brutality Ms Baltzer has witnessed is remarkable and inspiring.

Ms Baltzer's lucid writing and eye witness perspective shows life under the occupation through a lens that is clear and sharp. She herself is in the middle of the events she chronicles and when she relies on secondary sources, most are people she interviews herself, often within minutes or hours of the events being described. The result is a book that is raw and powerful.

The book is organized chronologically into chapters of a few pages each, describing one day or one event, and illustrated with photos of actual participants on all sides in so much as is possible. Thus it is easy to dip in and out of the book if you please or even to start at the back and read forwards. VERY IMPORTANT: read the appendices! In just 20 pages of appendices, Baltzer packs more useful information about big-picture issues than many entire books on this subject and she articulates issues clearly and cogently (we are dealing with an exceptionally gifted writer here). I found Appendix IV: Myths & Frequently Asked Questions and Appendix V: Quotations from Prominent Figures to be particularly eye opening. If you have limited time or are leafing through the book in a book store, you might even start with these two appendices and then go to the first chapter.

If everyone in America and Israel were to read this book, lasting peace in Israel and Palestine would come a whole lot sooner.

(Note: Ms Baltzer has also put out a DVD which will get you through the basics of life in occupied Palestine in the space of an hour. The DVD is well done and also well worth having. The book, however, includes a lot more about life under the occupation as well as more useful big-picture info in the appendices.)

This is the best book I can think of and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning what it's like to live under occupation. It's definitely a must read especially for Americans whose tax money is supporting "Israel" unconditionally, so whether they like it or not they are directly involved in this conflict and hence ought to understand it. Also, Israelis should really read this because there is so much they don't know about Palestinians, and so much mistrust and hatred created by the governments that makes justice and peace look impossible or even threatening. Finally, as a Palestinian I think all Palestinians should read this so as to reflect on things and situations in our daily lives that we've started considering normal but need to be reminded that they are not, and to realize that there are some amazing international and Israeli activists out there who dared to take a stands against the brutal occupation. These grassroot bridges of trust and understanding between our peoples are really the only path for a just and lasting peace. Let us start this understanding now by reading Anna Baltzer's honest and genuine work "Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American Woman In The Occupied Territories".

This book blew me away. I've yet to come across another book on the Israel/Palestine conflict that takes such an intimate look at the day-to-day life of Palestinians under occupation. The humiliation, pain, and loss these people go through everyday is clear and undeniable. It's pretty difficult to get through this book without getting angry at least a couple of times. the subject matter is very troubling.

Baltzer also cuts through many of the myths that still dominate the context of debates in the United States on this issue.

An insightful look at life in Occupied Palestine. Baltzer's work transforms the typical dialogue about the region, and explores her ideological transformation. A proponent of peace and human rights, Baltzer should be applauded for her dedication and devotion to seeking truth and justice in Palestine. Highly recommended as a component of your studies on the region.

Anna Baltzer was a Jewish American woman who never fully understood what was going on in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Of course, that was until she decided to visit the West Bank and Israel for several months so that she could see the situation for herself. During these months, she visited with many Palestinian families, mostly farmers, who took her in and talked about the situation or life in general.

The best part of the book is that it gives a real sense of who the Palestinians really are by providing individual stories of the people who live there. In reality, the vast majority of Palestinians are humble people with big hearts. They have an overwhelming culture of hospitality. In fact, she gives many examples of people who are very poor that give her plenty of food and shelter throughout her journey while feverishly denying any form of compensation in return.

The book is set up like a diary or journal with a recollection of the events that occurred on any particular day during her travels. I read the hardcover edition which included many phenomenal pictures of her experiences. During her time there, she is a human rights activist and attends several peaceful demonstrations. I will warn you that this book is an emotionally difficult read. I found myself holding back tears at many of the vivid scenes in some of the personal stories.

This is a great book if you really want to know what the Palestinians are going through. As a Palestinian-American college student, I never really knew what was going on over there. I came to the U.S. at the age of six so I'm pretty much American. My grandparents never talked about the subject much because it's probably too painful for them to talk about. When I asked them about it during my reading of the book, they told me about how they were forced to leave their homes and about how their lands were confiscated with no compensation. Furthermore, they showed me the deeds and keys to the lands and homes that they once owned. Presently, my family is scattered all over the globe with some in Jordan, the U.S., Qatar, Ireland, and even some distant relatives still in the West Bank.

In writing this review, my hope is that you will read this book to learn about what is really happening to all of the innocent Palestinians. The media in the states focuses all too often on the macro-level of the conflict without ever talking about the micro-level. In other words, you never hear about all of the individuals who protest peacefully everyday on deaf ears or all the people who die wrongfully at the hands of their oppressors. Education of these atrocities is the first step to eliminating them. So, open your mind, pick up the book, and read, then spread the word.

Thanks.

What an excellent and important book! The day to day oppression inflicted on the Palestinian people is heartbreaking! If I could, I would buy a copy of this book for every member of Congress and insist they read it before authorizing any more military aid to Israel. Thank you Anna for shedding some light on the "other side" of this terrible situation.

Anna Baltzer's book is a must read for Christian Zionists. Previously I held Zionist beliefs and I must say that I am ashamed for having swallowed the Kool Aid without examining the issue.

It was a long journey for me that began when a friend challenged me with the question, "What if Jesus was really serious about loving one's enemies?" In most conservative American Christian circles the idea that Jesus was serious about this is preposterous. According to a recent survey, American Evangelicals are the one group that is most supportive of the use of torture by the U.S. As I examined the issue of loving one's enemies I concluded that Jesus was in fact serious about this and that the principle of overcoming evil with good is the foundation of the Christian faith, not some "sinner's prayer" that even a four year old can recite in order to receive a fire insurance policy.

I came across Baltzer's book after having read Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour, Whose Land Whose Promise? by Gary Burge, Secret Believers and Operation Desert Light by Brother Andrew. Burge's book deals specifically wth the claim that the Jewish people have an exclusive biblical right to the land. For example in Leviticus 25:23 it says, "The land shall not be sold in perputuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants." All of these books are highly recommended for the Christian who desires truth.

I was already convinced that I had been horribly mislead on the Israeli/Palestinian issue by the time I read Baltzer's book. What was unique in Baltzer's book was the flood of stories of injustice against the Palestianian people compounded by the complicity of the U.S. gov't in its' support of Israel to the tune of 10 miliion dollars per day.

This book will overwhelm you with heartbreaking stories of over 60 years of seemingly unbearable injustices. Please read it and give copies to any conservative Christians. Challenge them about the command of Jesus to love your enemies.

Anna Baltzer also has a documentary entitled Life in Occupied Palestine that I highly recommend. Her use of maps detailing the reality of Israeli/Palestinian apartheid is most informative. In her calm yet passionate presentation she exemplifies the best of humanity and gives us all something to aspire to.

In matters of extreme injusice I am reminded of a quote by Tony Campolo. I must censor it for this review but in reality Tony did not censor it. It speaks volumes about apathy. He was speaking in a Sunday morning service when he said, " While you were sleeping last night 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Most of you don't give a s#@t. What's worse is that most of you are more upset with the fact that I said s@#t than with the fact that 30,000 kids died."