Michigan family returns from Gaza: 'Happy to be here. But my mind is on my kids back home'
A Livonia couple who pleaded with the U.S. government for help in getting out of Gaza finally made it home Tuesday night.
Zakaria and Laila Alarayshi recounted their experiences during a Wednesday a news conference at the Dearborn office of the Arab American Civil Rights League. Zakaria Alarayshi tearfully said they called the U.S. Embassy for help but got none.
"They told me, 'Why are you there? You're not supposed to be there.' I said, 'I came to visit my family and kids.' They said, 'I cannot help you.' I called another day, and they took all my information. It was the second day of the war. They told me, 'We’ll call you back.' I waited, and nobody called me back," Zakaria said.
The Alarayshis were visiting family in Gaza when violence between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7. They were expected to return after a few weeks but were among the Palestinian Americans trapped in Gaza.
'I need to get them out before they die'
The couple filed a lawsuit against the State and Defense departments, alleging the government discriminated against the couple, showing "disparate treatment," and failed to evacuate them and other Palestinian Americans while working to release Americans in Israel.
"I'm happy to be here. But my mind is on my kids back home. I need to get them out before they die," Zakaria Alarayshi said, adding that his family and children kept him going through the crisis.
The Alarayshis saw and heard bombing regularly. Zakaria Alarayshi said he slept for about 30 minutes at a time in a chair until a bomb woke him up. The couple was in their home, which he spent $500,000 to build, until the Israeli government ordered them to evacuate. They fled to his wife's family's home, and the next day, they heard a bomb nearby.
"I was crying. I'm 60 years old, crying, and all the kids came to me saying, 'We don’t know what to do.' Everyone was scared," Zakaria Alarayshi said.
Days later, Alarayshi said that he searched for places to buy water and food but could receive it only on a day-by-day basis due to limited resources. Most days, all that he consumed was cake and tea to get by.
Arab American Civil Rights League founder Nabih Ayad is asking the U.S. secretaries of state and defense to "do more" to get Americans out of Gaza.
"Isn't Israel our greatest ally? Can't we call Israel? Is Egypt our ally?" Ayad asked. "There are still hundreds of United State citizens stuck in that hellhole of Gaza."
Tlaib credited with helping family get out
Earlier this month, the Alarayshis managed to flee to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing and make their way home. The couple attempted to enter Egypt six times, only to be denied. But the couple struggled to get both of their names on the list to enter Egypt, said James Allen, CEO of Arab American Civil Rights League, who credited U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, for using her international sources to help the Alarayshis leave.
"The first list that came out of citizens that were allowed to leave included Zakaria but did not include Laila. Being the man that he is, he wasn’t going to leave his wife in harm's way. It was Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib who made the phone calls all around the world to contacts she had in Washington, Cairo, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv," Allen said.
More: 'It feels paralyzing:' Dearborn resident from Gaza lost her home, fears losing family
The next day, Laila was on the list but not Zakaria.
Mariam Charara, executive director of the civil rights league, and Tlaib then made calls throughout the evening to ensure Zakaria was included. Charara added that the firm was asked to fill out a crisis form, administered by the State Department, that would include a list of names of people permitted to evacuate. It has however s false hope to people who thought their names would be listed, she said.
"There is a lack of connection there, whether it be from the department, whether it be from an employee, the name should be on the list. The crisis form was filled out in the beginning; it should not have taken a month. It should not have taken a month as this is a life and death situation," Charara said.
The Alarayshis' son, daughter and grandchildren remain in Gaza.
The Alarayshis' daughter-in-law Lisa Alarayshi said that throughout the bombing, her heart was broken and she had difficulty maintaining composure at work, constantly seeking proof-of-life updates, knowing her family was in danger. Despite feeling grateful that some of her family returned, she worries about others.
"I do feel there are other American citizens that are trapped there and they're not being honored as human beings just because they were born of a certain ethnic group or to a certain religion. They're not considered humans by the rest of the world and I find that heartbreaking and disgusting," said Lisa Alarayshi. "I know that people in Gaza don't actually want to leave Gaza, that’s their home. They don't want to be forced to go live somewhere else. They want to live where they were born, where they’re used to being. Now most of their homes are destroyed and they don't really have anywhere to live after this."
Charara said the family's plea shed light on the "dire situation" facing many U.S. citizens trapped in Gaza.
"The ACRL's effort, fueled by the heartbreaking messages and calls from the Alarayshi family, underscores the urgency of their situation. Waking up each morning hoping my messages went through, their voices became the lifeline amid the challenges of survival," Charara said.
In a voicemail to Charara, Zakaria Alarayshi said Israel struck a house next to them and added that they were scared, could not go to the bathroom and were without electricity and water.
"I think we are going to die before we leave," Alarayshi said last month.
Free Press reporter Niraj Warikoo contributed to this story.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact Dana: dafana@freepress.com or 313-635-3491. Follow her on Twitter: @DanaAfana.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan family returns from Gaza, but remain worried
