A Jewish American Speaks for Palestinian Rights

I hadn’t heard of Anna Baltzer until I was approached by a group in Lompoc, CA (Lompoc Coalition for Peace and Justice) that is bringing her to town to speak on the Palestinian situation. Being that I not only pastor a Lompoc church, but also write a column in the local paper, I agreed to meet with the planners -- and interview Anna, if she was open to it. On Thursday, May 8th, which just happens to coincide with the Israeli celebration of independence (according to the Hebrew calendar), I had this most interesting conversation.

Anna is a Jewish American, Columbia graduate, and a former Fulbright Scholar. She has written a book – which I plan to read and review – entitled Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories (Paradigm Press, 2007). Before doing the interview, which lies below, I watched her DVD. The DVD shares her witness to the plight of the Palestinian people living under Israeli occupation. She talks about the difficulties imposed on Palestinians due to road blocks and walls. She talks about the settlements and the outposts. She believes this isn’t about religion, but rather about land and its use. In the DVD she shares how her eyes were opened to the Palestinian issue during a visit and five month stay in the West Bank. She shares pictures and conversations. One might suggest that her presentation is one sided, but her purpose as she shares it is to provide another perspective.

It isn’t easy to speak words of criticism to one’s own people. From my own conversations with my Jewish friends I know and understand that there is no one monolithic Jewish position on Israel or the Palestinians. As a Christian concerned about justice and interfaith cooperation, I try to be open to both voices, and so below is a conversation with a Jewish activist in support of the Palestinian cause. My questions are more ideological than they are about human rights, which Anna mentions later in the interview is her expertise and issue. But my desire is to set her work, which I for the most part support, in its context. So, here goes the interview:

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Bob: Can you tell me a bit about yourself and why you chose to embrace this cause?

Anna: I'm a Jewish American from the East Bay in Northern California. If you'd asked me four years ago if I wanted to do this I would have laughed at you. I discovered this issue when I was living in Turkey on a Fulbright scholarship and traveled around the Middle East during vacations. I went all around Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, and started to meet Palestinian refugees. I had never knowingly interacted with a Palestinian before; in fact I didn't really know what a Palestinian was, but as I got to know them I started hearing their stories.

These stories were all news to me. In fact, they were so different from what I believed that I figured they were brainwashed. I thought: "This is typical Arab propaganda" and set out to prove them wrong. The trouble was, when I started doing the research via the history books, I realized I was the one who was ignorant. I finally figured I should go see for myself, and that's when I started this work.

Bob: You are involved with the International Women’s Peace Service (IWPS). What is that and how has that influenced your thoughts and actions?

Anna: The women are pretty diverse so I can't say the group itself shaped me, but the things I've seen through my work with them certainly has.

Bob: You know that today is, according to the Hebrew calendar, Israel's Independence Day. That's not something that Palestinians will celebrate, but as a Jew, how do you feel about Israel?

Anna: I guess I have to ask what you mean by "Israel." I think a place where Jews can be safe is a wonderful thing given our history, but I don't think that's what Israel is.

Bob: At this point, I'm thinking of the nation of Israel as it currently stands.

Anna: I look at how Israel defines itself: "the state of the Jewish people." So it's not the state of its citizens. It’s the state of a lot of people who are not its citizens (like me, even if I never go there), and it's not the state of a lot of people who are its citizens, like the Palestinians (also known as Israeli Arabs) living there who don't have equal rights. And they’re the lucky ones.

The thing is, the majority of the people living in the place where Israel was created weren't Jewish, so having a Jewish majority required removing non-Jews from the land, and still today requires discrimination of some kind towards non-Jews. This is not something I can support or celebrate. Israel’s “Independence Day” is mourned by Palestinians as “Nakba Day,” in remembrance of their ethnic cleansing from their homeland.

Bob: Today in the LA Times there is an article about a growing interest in bi-nationalism or one state solution among Palestinians, as opposed to the oft proposed two state solution. My sense is that this is what you would support. That has its benefits, but it’s also seen by many Jews as threatening to their security -- your thoughts?

Anna: Yes, a bi-national state--one in which all people in the region with rights to the land would have citizenship and equal rights regardless of their religion or ethnicity-- would mean Israel would lose its Jewish majority, but it opens the door to democracy. I think that's a sacrifice worth making, especially since the way Israel is going now doesn't seem to be making Jews very secure at all.

Bob: Have you read Marc Ellis' work – he is, if I remember correctly, of a similar view?

[Interviewer’s note – Marc Ellis is University Professor of Jewish Studies and Director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Baylor University].

Anna: I haven't read his book, Out Of The Ashes, (Pluto Press, 2002), but I have a copy and it's at the top of my list. I know he's very critical of Zionism and a proud Jew, but I’m not sure what he says about one- vs. two-state stuff.

Bob: It’s been awhile, since I read the book, but I believe he supports bi-nationalism. Once you’ve read the book, I’d be interested in your thoughts.

Bob: My starting point in this conversation is my role first of all as Mainline Protestant pastor, who has had very good relationships with people in both the Jewish and Islamic community. That said, I’m interested in where faith fits into your views?

Anna: I’m secular, like most Israelis--and Jews for that matter. So, I would say my Jewish upbringing has shaped me in a cultural and ethical sense, rather than a religious one.

Bob: Anna thanks -- that helps. I recognize that secular Jews can be found in both the Zionist and non-Zionist camps.

Anna: And non-Jews can be found in both as well!

Bob: Yes, you're quite correct! I'm not a Zionist!

Anna: Me either!

Bob: Mainline Protestants have been in a quandary of late. Most of us have pushed for Jewish-Christian dialog. We are also well aware of our historic involvement in anti-Semitic views and actions. That has made us sensitive to Jewish concerns. As an individual I have entered that dialog, myself. We are, at least most of us, also concerned about justice for the Palestinians.

You talk about divestment, which has become a divisive issue in the Christian community. How might divestment help?

Anna: My support for divestment comes from my belief in the way change happens. I used to think it was about convincing Jews and Israelis to come to their senses, but take the Israeli population-- they are sympathetic, but that's not enough to make things happen. I think circumstances need to be created that render the status quo not only "unpleasant" (as many Israelis would call it now) but "difficult" or even "painful" (not necessarily physically) before you see change happen. Boycotts and divestment are nonviolent ways of pressuring Israel to comply, not simply hoping it will or asking for it to happen. I think we need to use the same framework in addressing mainstream Jewish people in the U.S. The change will not be voluntary. Remember the Martin Luther King quotation: "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." If we focused as much on Palestinian rights as pleasing the oppressing community in this case, we could have justice already. I think we need to acknowledge that it will not be comfortable; we need to be ready to step out of our comfort zones, even to be called "anti-Semitic."

Bob: Thank you -- yes this makes sense. It's difficult to consider, but it makes sense. And I'm ambivalent about what to do, myself.

Bob: In your DVD you seem to steer clear of politics -- you don't mention either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority very much. Is there a solution that can move beyond the present political dynamics?

Anna: Contrary to conventional wisdom in this country, Hamas and the PA have both indicated willingness to compromise. A great book outlining the history of the peace process is written by Israeli academic Tanya Reinhart -- Israel/Palestine (Seven Stories Press, 2004)-- which clarifies the compromises by Palestinian sometimes ignored in mainstream US media. Hamas has also said it would hold to a ceasefire if Israel agrees to international law. It was even more accommodating in Carter's recent visit. So I think we can be optimistic about Palestinian leadership’s openness. Unfortunately, I have become pessimistic about Israeli leadership’s willingness to compromise.

Bob: There is, of course, great skepticism about Hamas' willingness to follow through -- do you sense that they would abide by these statements? Having talked with Palestinians, how strong is Hamas' following?

Anna: The strength of Hamas' following comes from its focus on providing for the Palestinian people (notice it ran on a platform of change rather than Islam or violence), and it continues to agree to go with the will of the people. Hamas, for all its flaws, has consistently followed through with what it promises. Take the unilateral ceasefire -- it held to it for almost two years, in spite of constant attacks. Being unreliable is not something Hamas is known for.

Bob: Anna, as a pastor committed to social justice and strongly committed to interfaith conversation, I’m in agreement that the current situation is unjust. How, with that said, do we balance the historical Jewish situation, of which they/you have been a victim of bigotry and violence (especially on the part of Western Christendom), which creates a sense of fear in the Jewish people? How do we overcome this fear, which has fueled much of the reaction to the Palestinians?

Anna: Great question. Unlike some leftists, I think that most Zionism comes from very well-founded fear, not some sort of malicious inhumanity. We have to address this issue! To those who are singularly focused on the plight of Jews, I always ask: "Is Israel accomplishing that goal of securing us?" Even if that was the idea, I think it's a failure, and doomed to get even worse. So even independent of Palestinian rights—which are of course important in and of themselves--I think it's bad for Jews to continue as Israel is. I also think it's good to ask Jews: "If creating a Jewish homeland for Jewish refugees means creating another homeless refugee Diaspora population, is it worth it? Can we accept that?" People have different answers. My answer is no, I cannot accept the idea that I have a birthright to place that Palestinians have been kicked out of. I think the best chance we, as Jews, as human beings, have for safety comes from mutual respect and dignity. Some may call me naive, but again, is the alternative any safer? There is no perfect answer, but I think democracy and human rights is the best strategy we've got so far.

There are also institutions in place that weren't there during World War II and before, like the Geneva conventions and United Nations. If these things were respected as they should be, that could be an extra safeguard.

Bob: I know this is a difficult issue and that much of the conversation is wrapped up in rhetoric that's rooted in "myth." There is the "myth" that Palestine was an uninhabited land before the Zionists arrived early in the 20th century. There is also the myth that there never was a historic Jewish presence in the land. How can this be overcome?

Anna: Historic research. There's a lot of debate on this issue, but not among the experts. It’s like in the movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," where Gore compares controversy among newspapers vs. among the scientists themselves. So I think we can start encouraging people to do their own research. I always tell people in my talks not to take my word for it. It’s arrogant to think people should believe me just because I say something! I also think there has been change on this front. Some of the myths remain, but some have become obsolete. I think the ones you mention are less common than a decade ago, for example. It’s a long process of re-educating ourselves, but we owe it to Palestinians and ourselves.

Bob: Anna, I'm enjoying this conversation -- I'm wondering who you have been speaking to? What groups have invited you and what has the response been?

Anna: Most of my hosts/audiences are mainstream groups, often churches or universities. The response is overwhelmingly positive, with very few exceptions. Protesters seldom find what they expected me to be, and are forced to confront the situation itself rather than getting wrapped up in personal criticisms of me. I respect people, especially those who come with skepticism. I know what it feels like, and it's very painful to confront these things, so I don't expect re-education to happen in a sitting.

Sometimes I also speak to sympathetic groups, but they are the minority. It's still worth the effort because a lot of times they need to be motivated to move from sympathy into action.

Bob: I'm assuming that most of the opposition voices come from Jews and Christian Zionists -- I'm not interested in the Christian Zionists, who I think are abusing my faith tradition. I also know that there is no monolithic Jewish perspective -- but by and large, what has the Jewish response been?

Anna: The thing is, most mainstream Jews don't come to my talks, and all my requests to speak at synagogues have been rebuffed. I don't think I've ever had an orthodox person in an audience either. So, I can only judge from people who have come to my talks to, say, protest, and have left differently. But the majority of Jews remain Zionist, and I think they dismiss anything else. If I had the chance to actually talk to them, I expect they would be angry with me, but probably as the messenger. Anyone open enough to hear what I say has to address the issue itself, which is horrible. But again, the first response is anger. At least mine was. Of course, the Jewish peace groups are very supportive, and they are growing in number. In Israel they are the majority.

Bob: Anna, thank you for this conversation. I have found it both illuminating and helpful. I realize we’ve talked more about the ideological foundations of this situation than the human right’s issues, which are at the heart of your presentation and message. Having watched your DVD, I can say that you offer a fairly complete and incredibly well illustrated witness. There may be more than one interpretation of the realities, but you have given us much to think about. I’d like to give you an opportunity to share with us a final word.

Anna: Thank you, Bob, for your openness. I look forward to continuing this conversation with the community in Lompoc. Let us remember, too, to include the Palestinians themselves in the conversation. After all, they are the experts on the subject and have tried to tell these stories for decades and have been silenced in a way that I am not. Let us not just hope and pray for but truly work and struggle for a time when people from all backgrounds are treated fairly and with dignity, no matter who they are.

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To the Reader: I invite you to comment and enter the discussion that Anna has started. Any conversation about this issue is sure to be provocative, but the more we know the closer we'll be to a solution.

(Anna will appear in Lompoc on Monday evening, May 19, 7:00 P.M. at the Lompoc Library, 501 E. North Avenue)