Angry over Gaza, Chicago Palestinian leaders refuse to meet with White House officials
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A group of Palestinian leaders and businesspeople has refused to meet with senior White House officials in Chicago, over concerns about the Israel-Hamas War.
This is not the first time activists have refused such a meeting. A similar protest took place in Southeast Michigan – which, like the Chicago area, has a significant Arab-American population.
"Can you at least stop the killing of our brothers and sisters in Gaza, and then we can meet? Can you at least do that part?" said Tarek Khalil of American Muslims for Palestine. "If you aren't willing to meet me there, what is there to talk about?"
Khalil was joined by members of over two dozen Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim organizations who are sending a loud message to President Joe Biden with their absence. They had been invited to meet with White House officials Thursday in Chicago in protest of Israel's attacks on Gaza – and they declined.
"Now after 30,000 civilians have been killed, he wants to come and meet with us and still talk," said Joehar Hamdan of the Justice Coalition. "When he could just lift up his phone and say: 'Hey, stop what you're doing. It's enough.'"
"Right now, there is no time for meeting with Biden and his people," said Hatem Abudayyeh of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network. "Those days are gone when there could have been a space for that."
In a letter sent to the White House, the group pointed to America's continued funding of Israel, and refusal to call for a ceasefire, as their cause for protest. They said the U.S.' recent airdrop of aid in Gaza is not enough.
"That's like playing the role of the firefighter as well as the arsonist," said Khalil. "You know, you're playing the role of trying to heal the wounds, yet causing greater wounds. That's contradictory."
For months, community activists have taken to City Hall and the streets of Chicago to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. They say the calls have been ignored.
"Biden is the same guy that's trying to cuddle with us, but at the same time, vetoing anything to call for a ceasefire in the United Nations," said Hamdan.
It was unclear late Thursday who accepted invitations to the meeting. But they activists said they do not support whoever did attend.
CBS 2 reached out to the White House for a response, but had not heard back late Thursday.
