Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib spent much of his childhood in Gaza before becoming an American citizen. He has lost dozens of family members and both his childhood homes in Israel's war in Gaza. But he hasn't lost hope for peace and the future of the Palestinian people. Listen as he describes the reality of life in Gaza under Hamas rule, and what he believes most Gazans think of Hamas. He also shares his thoughts on how to save Israel's hostages, and how Palestinians can thrive once the war is over.
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Today is February 22, 2024, and my guest is activist and writer Ahmed Fouad al Khatib.
His family is originally from Palestine.
Before the establishment of the state of Israel.
From the age of five to 15, he lived in the Gaza Strip until he went on an exchange program in the United States.
He was unable to return to Gaza and ultimately became an american citizen.
He's been an eloquent writer on what is happening in Gaza today, and in a recent article he wrote for Foreign Policy, he wrote the following quote I am originally from Gaza.
I have lost more than 31 of my family members who were killed by IDF airstrikes in Gaza city and Rafa.
Both of my childhood homes are gone.
My immediate and extended family are all homeless, having had to regularly flee in pursuit of safety.
This personal dimension is precisely why I've been desperately seeking pragmatic ideas outlined below that address humanitarian aid provision and the stabilization of post war Gaza through new security arrangements.
This is not an intellectual or analytical issue for me.
It is an existential one that threatens the survival of what remains of my family in the Gaza Strip and the preservation of the territory that I once called home, end quote.
And those words will be the basis for our conversation today.
Ahmed, welcome to Econ Talk.