Pages From My Life In The Homeland And The Diaspora

From the memoirs of Dr. Ahmad Yousef ✊Episode (54) American Attorney Stanley Cohen: A Voice of Justice and Living Conscience

"Not every Jew is a Zionist; Zionism is a deviation from the teachings of heaven."
—Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss

When discussing an exceptional figure like attorney Stanley Cohen, it is important to clearly distinguish between Judaism as a divine religion and Zionism as a secular, colonial political ideology that exploited religion to justify its nationalist project based on settlement and uprooting others.

The reality we have observed closely is that there is a segment of Jews—individuals and groups—who reject the Zionist project and condemn its practices. Foremost among these is the group Neturei Karta (Guardians of the City), an Orthodox sect that believes the establishment of the "State of Israel" constitutes a blatant violation of what is stated in the Torah. According to their belief, Jews are not permitted to return to the "Holy Land" by force or establish a state before the arrival of the awaited Messiah. This belief has led them to adopt anti-Zionist positions and raise slogans such as: "True Jews are against Zionism."

In recent decades, leftist Jewish movements have also emerged in America and Europe, including the group "Not in My Name," which has affirmed in its statements that "Not every Jew is a Zionist," and that Zionism is a deviation from divine teachings and a moral distortion of the Jewish faith.

From this doctrinal and human understanding emerged Stanley Cohen, the Ashkenazi American Jewish lawyer who did not close his heart to the truth and never compromised his principles. He became one of the most prominent legal voices defending the Palestinian cause and rejecting Zionist domination over political and media discourse in the United States.

Stanley Cohen was born in New York and studied law at Rutgers and Hofstra Universities, beginning his legal career driven by the concern to defend the oppressed and marginalized, including Arabs, Muslims, and even Native Americans. He handled cases related to the rights of the Mahawk Tribe—one of the Native American tribes—against the federal government’s encroachment on their lands and sacred sites, seeing this as part of the broader struggle of oppressed and colonized peoples.

Stanley was known as a leftist figure with clear positions rejecting the Zionist project, considering "Israel" to be a colonial, racist entity that does not reflect the true spirit of Judaism. He often reminded people that "more than 20% of Jews in the United States do not believe in Israel's right to exist and see it as a betrayal of the legacy of Prophet Moses and the prophets (peace be upon them)."

My Relationship with Stanley: From New York to Damascus

I came to know attorney Stanley and became familiar with his character and views through attorney Abdeen Jabara, one of the prominent figures of the Arab community in Washington and a leading activist in the ADC (Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee), where Stanley was a refuge for many Arabs who suffered from racial discrimination in the workplace and academic life.

He resided in Manhattan, New York City, enjoying a prominent legal and media presence and earning great respect within both the Palestinian and Muslim communities. He became known for his bold positions defending activists and the oppressed, especially following the events of September 11, when U.S. authorities targeted many Arabs and Muslims under the pretext of "counterterrorism."

One of his most notable legal milestones was his defense of Dr. Musa Abu Marzouk—then the political bureau chief of Hamas—after his arrest in the United States in 1996. He worked as part of a defense team that included prominent legal names such as attorney Michael Kennedy, Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni (may Allah have mercy on him), and Palestinian attorney Ashraf Nubani. The team succeeded in winning the case by proving that Dr. Abu Marzouk was a political leader, not a military one, similar to Gerry Adams, whom President Bill Clinton treated as a political leader of the Irish Sinn Féin party, not as a "terrorist."

Advocacy Beyond the Courtroom: In Media and Thought

Attorney Stanley did not confine himself to courtrooms. He took his causes to the media platforms, writing bold articles in The New York Times, Al Jazeera Net, and CounterPunch magazine, where he defended Palestinian rights with compelling legal and human language.

One of his most prominent articles was titled: "Palestinians Have a Legal Right to Armed Resistance," in which he stated:

International law recognizes the right of peoples under occupation to self-determination, including resorting to armed resistance if necessary.

He added:

Labeling Palestinians as terrorists while they fight for their freedom is pure hypocrisy.

In another article, he described Israel as:

A house of hatred… where cluster bombing is celebrated, starvation is used as a weapon, and collective punishment is perfected with precision.

In a bold interview with journalist Ahmed Mansour on the program Without Borders (Bila Hudood), he offered a frank critique of American justice, saying:

Justice here is not blind; it sees through a political lens… If you are Palestinian or Muslim, you are guilty by default!

He added that many Jews around the world reject the Zionist project and consider it a distortion of their faith, especially in using religion to justify occupation and violence.

From Gaza to Damascus . . . A Pledge of Loyalty

In 2006, after Hamas won the elections and formed Ismail Haniyeh's government, Stanley visited the Gaza Strip, where he met with the martyr Abu Al-Abed Haniyeh (may Allah have mercy on him) and praised the steadfastness and resilience of the Palestinian people. He said in one of his tweets:

Haniyeh is a principled, friendly, and beloved man … He deserves respect as a leader chosen freely by his people.

When we, as Palestinian activists, became targets of Zionist persecution, Stanley, with his legal expertise and humanity, was among the first to stand with us as a guide and sincere advisor. He offered me help to get out of the eye of the storm. I left the United States in mid-2004 for Algeria, but communication between us remained ongoing.

After Hamas won the legislative elections in January 2006 and formed the eleventh government in which I held the position of political advisor to the Prime Minister, I had the opportunity to travel outside Gaza. Damascus was one of the stops where I met Stanley again, where he was a guest of Dr. Musa Abu Marzouk. That meeting renewed the bond with a man who remained true to his positions, honest in his support for just causes.

A Conscience That Did Not Compromise

Stanley was not just a lawyer; he was a free legal conscience who stood against the current, spoke on behalf of the oppressed, and had a stance in every just cause. His defense of Palestine did not stem from emotion or interest but from a firm belief that justice does not recognize double standards.

Because his positions shocked extremist Zionist circles, he did not escape attack and defamation. Some labeled him a "self-hating Jew," a common accusation leveled at any Jew who dares criticize Israel.

On one occasion, he was bitterly taunted after a relative of his was killed in a Palestinian martyrdom operation. Someone said to him: "How can you defend those led by Hamas's political bureau chief, who is responsible for this killing?"

But his response was firm and noble:

My relative was not targeted personally; he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. All of that was a natural result of Israel’s policy of killing and occupation. The one who should be held accountable is the one who led the region to this explosion, not the one who resisted it.

With that response, Stanley embodied the height of moral awareness and human fortitude, affirming that standing for justice is measured not by blood, but by truth and principle.

Today, in a time when free voices have become rare, attorney Stanley Cohen remains one of the few who politics did not silence, positions did not seduce, and pressures did not break. A man who stood where he had to stand, earning respect and appreciation.

Stanley L. Cohen is lawyer and activist in New York City.