Breaking the Cycle of Dehumanization

with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib

March 23, 2025 – Temin Canteen Room & On Zoom
10:00 AM – Coffee & Pastries
10:30 AM – Program with Mr. Alkhatib

Click here to register for in-person and Zoom attendance!

Ahmed will share how he was immediately impacted by the war that ensued following the deadly October 7 massacre, including how it quickly resulted in the killing of 33 family members. Still, since that tragedy, Ahmed has made a deliberate choice to be part of breaking the cycle of dehumanization, breaking out of what he sees as the cycle of the hatred, incitement, violence, revenge, rinse and repeat. Ahmed provides his visions for a radically pragmatic future for Gaza and the pro-Palestine movement and what this could achieve.

In his talks, Ahmed discusses his life story and how it has uniquely shaped his views and ability to hold multiple truths or be angry but not hateful. From growing up as a young kid in Gaza during the Oslo peace agreements to the difficult experience of living through Oslo’s failure, the inevitable rise of Hamas in Gaza, and his post-911 journey to the United States, Ahmed exemplifies for the audience how others can exercise individual responsibility to spread empathy, while discussing engaging in the often divisive and heated Israel and Palestine discourse.

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is a resident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs and an American writer and analyst who grew up in Gaza City, having left in 2005 as an exchange student to the United States. He writes extensively on Gaza’s political and humanitarian affairs, is an outspoken critic of Hamas, and a promoter of coexistence and peace as the only path forward between Palestinians and Israelis. Alkhatib has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in intelligence and national security studies. His writing and opinions have been published in US, Israeli, and international press.