Alison Weir: The Influence of the Israel Lobby on US Policy

This week Voice of Palestine Cohost Hanna Kawas has an in-depth conversation with Alison Weir, a journalist and founder of the group If Americans Knew and the president of The Council for the National Interest. We talk with her about the groups’ work and objectives, the floundering U.S. “peace process” as well as her new book, “Against our Better Judgement“.

Mazin Qumsiyeh on “Palestine Today and in the Future”
This week, Voice of Palestine presents a live recording of the full speech by Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh at an April 7th public meeting in Vancouver, Canada. Mazin is a Palestinian author, activist and educator who currently lives in Beit Sahour, Palestine and teaches at both Bir Zeit and Bethlehem Universities. His Vancouver talk covered both extensive analysis of the current situation in Palestine and his own personal experiences.

This week Voice of Palestine interviews Tyler Levitan, campaign coordinator for Independent Jewish Voices, Canada. We talk with him about IJV’s ‘Expose the Jewish National Fund JNF’ campaign, their new postcard initiative, and their support for the BDS movement. We also discuss the upcoming Jewish National Fund Galas across Canada, and the campaigns to protest them, including the petition calling on Nikki Yanofsky to cancel her performances at several JNF galas.

The Egyptian Military Junta and What’s Next for Egypt and Gaza
This week we are interviewing Ehab Lotayef, an Egyptian Canadian poet and activist. We talk with him about the shocking developments in Egypt especially the recent 529 death sentences handed down by the Egyptian military junta, as well as their recent moves against the Gaza Strip. He also updates us on the progress of the Gazas Ark, and explains the objectives of “Egyptians worldwide for democracy and Justice“.

Iymen Chehade on Defending Academic Freedom
This week Voice of Palestine interviews Iymen Chehade, an instructor at Columbia College in Chicago. We talk with him about his course at Columbia College, why it was cancelled, and the role of the Zionist lobby in suppressing the Palestinian narrative. We also discuss the recent resolution passed by the American Studies Association supporting the call for BDS and the reaction to it.
(Please sign the online petition in support of Iymen and academic freedom at Columbia College.)

Samah Idriss on BDS and Normalization
This week Voice of Palestine has a live interview with Lebanese boycott and anti-normalization organizer, Samah Idriss. Samah is also the editor of AlAdab and is visiting Canada to be part of Israeli Apartheid Week activities. We talked with Samah about his work in Lebanon and his trip to Canada.

Lia Tarachansky & her film “On the Side of the Road”
This week Voice of Palestine interviews Israeli-Russian director Lia Tarachansky about her documentary On the Side of the Road, which opened the First International Film Festival on Nakba and Return at Cinematheque Tel Aviv and will be showing next week in Ramallah. The info on the film’s official trailer says – “This is the story of those who fought to erase Palestine and created an Israeli landscape of denial”.

Israeli Apartheid Week 2014
This week Voice of Palestine interviews Chand, a member of the Israeli Apartheid Week-Toronto Organizing Committee, and also part of Students against Israeli Apartheid, U of T. She talks with us about the history of Israeli Apartheid Week IAW, which began in Toronto, as well as detailing some of the activities planned for this year. (Watch the IAW 2014 trailer here!)

Josh Ruebner on his book “Shattered Hopes”
This week Voice of Palestine cohost Hanna Kawas has a wide-ranging conversation with Josh Ruebner, an American author, political analyst, and activist. We talk with him about U.S. policy and his new book, Shattered Hopes: Obama’s Failure to Broker Israeli-Palestinian Peace. Josh is also the National Advocacy Director of US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and discusses the Campaign’s work.

Diana Alzeer: Live Report from Ein Hijleh Village “Salt of the Earth” Campaign
This week Voice of Palestine interviews Diana Alzeer, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Popular Struggle Coordination Committee. She brings us a live report from the Melh Al-ard (Salt of the Earth) campaign to revive Ein Hijleh Village in the Jordan Valley, as well as discussing the popular resistance in Palestine in general.