Balser named CEO of Brit Tzedek

Cambridge Chronicle
August 4, 2005

Diane Balser of Cambridge was recently appointed CEO of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, a national grassroots organization of American Jews committed to promoting a peaceful, negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A professor of women's studies at Boston University, Balser has a long track record of liberal Jewish activism as well as advocacy on women's issues; she helped found Brit Tzedek in 2002.

"Many American Jews have bought into the idea that support for Israel means automatically standing behind all Israeli government policies," Balser said. "But Israel is a dynamic democracy where dissenting opinions flourish freely. Brit Tzedek provides and ideal avenue for legitimizing criticism in the context of strong support for Israel."

Balser believes that Brit Tzedek, which now has 28,000 members and supporters and 30 chapters nationwide, is having a significant impact. Locally, the organization is now a member of Boston's Jewish Council Relations Council; nationally, it offers an alternative to the more hawkish positions of traditional Washington-based Israeli advocacy organizations.

For more information, visit http://btvshalom.org.