CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- President Biden invited Arab and Muslim American leaders to the White House Thursday, holding the first such meeting since the war between Israel and Hamas began earlier this month.
Among the five people invited, was just one Palestinian-American voice, and he happens to be a community organizer in Chicago.
Dr. Rami Nashashibi was finishing leading a group through the area that is now at war.
"My last day of the journey happened to be the same day that all of this horror began to unfold on October 7," he said.
The militant group Hamas carried out surprise attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed at least 1,400 people. Israel continues to retaliate with air and now ground attacks that have left over 7,300 civilians in Gaza dead, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Nashashibi usually serves as a community organizer on the Southside of Chicago and is the founder of the Innner City Muslim Action Network.
He recounted what happened at the airport that day in Tel Aviv.
"We were worried about children with their fathers that were being dragged along," Nashashibi added. "They were trying to carry suitcases. I didn't care if that child was Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Palestinian, Israeli."
Now nearly three weeks later, his voice was among those being heard by the President of the United States.
"This president who has been so strong on relating to human suffering with others has not done so in a powerful way with the Palestinian community," he said.
Nashashibi said the meeting was over 40 minutes where the selected group shared their stories and criticisms which was well received, according to him.
"The president's response gave us a cautious optimism that he was hearing us."
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