01-02-15 Ziad Asali on peace; Stanley Cohen on Arab terror suspects

This week on Talk of the Town Radio with Ray Hanania with feature two interviews. In the first segment, we interview Ziad Asali the President of the American Task Force on Palestine, the largest grassroots Palestinian American advocacy organization in the United States. Asali discusses the consequences of the failed UN Security Council resolution to recognize Palestinian Statehood and sovereignty, and the need for Arab citizens of Israel to participate and not boycott the March 17, 2015 special Israeli elections. About 20 percent of the Israeli voting population is Palestinian, but many Palestinians have boycotted the elections rather than exercise their right to vote and influence the demise of the rightwing fanatics who control Israel's government. Palestinian Israeli voters can help undermine the power of extremist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the religious fanatics and re-direct Israel back to the negotiating table to recognize Palestinian rights to statehood.

In the second half of the one hour show, we interview Stanley Cohen, the prominent New York civil rights attorney who has represented many Arabs, American and non-American, who have been falsely accused of engaging in terrorism. Cohen has been harassed and vilified by the U.S. Justice Department and falsely accused and wrongly convicted of tax evasion. A few days before he begins his 18 month prison sentence on Tuesday Jan. 6, 2015, Cohen discusses why he will remain dedicated to the principle of the International Rule of Law and the American Constitutional principle that people are innocent until proven guilty and not guilty simply because they are Arab or Muslim. Jewish American himself, Cohen said that the government has used profiling, stereotypes and racism to target Arabs who criticize Israel and Muslims falsely accused of supporting terrorism.

Talk of the Town Radio is broadcast every Friday at 4:05 PM CST Chicago Time on 1450 AM Radio and simulcast live online at www.YahalaVoice.com.