He lost 33 relatives in Gaza. He calls Hamas a terrorist organization. He has also accused Israel of committing crimes in Gaza. And on March 5, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib will speak at a Jewish community event in St. Louis.

Alkhatib is a Palestinian-American writer and policy analyst who grew up in Gaza City and left in 2005 as a teenage exchange student to the United States. After Hamas took control of Gaza, he received political asylum in the U.S. He later became an American citizen.

Today, he leads “Realign for Palestine,” a project affiliated with the Atlantic Council that promotes what he describes as a “radically pragmatic” approach to a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.

Since the Oct. 7 attack and the subsequent war in Gaza, Alkhatib has taken positions that place him outside many traditional political camps. He has sharply criticized Hamas for its attacks on Israeli civilians and for its governance of Gaza. At the same time, he has spoken publicly against Israeli military actions in Gaza, the humanitarian impact of the war and long-standing Israeli policies in the West Bank.

In public remarks, Alkhatib has said 33 members of his immediate and extended family were killed in Israeli airstrikes during the war. He has also described efforts to engage with Israeli survivors of Oct. 7 and families of hostages, arguing that dialogue is necessary despite deep trauma on both sides.

Prior to the event organizers, which are all listed in the graphic above, described the program as an opportunity to hear from a Palestinian voice advocating nonviolence and a two-state solution.

Alkhatib’s visit cave as many Jewish communities continue to debate how to respond to the war in Gaza, rising antisemitism and divisions over Israeli policy. His appearance reflects an effort by local organizers to present a speaker who is critical of both Hamas and Israeli government actions while supporting coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.