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Translation

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I used the Google translation as a starting point for the English article. I have then added a significant amount of human translation. Ydorb 21:02, 17 May 2004 (UTC)[reply]

Is this a copyright violation of anyone's work? Where is it from? - Tεxτurε 21:08, 17 May 2004 (UTC)[reply]
The original was from the German Wikipedia [1] Ydorb 16:49, 18 May 2004 (UTC).[reply]
Thanks. Good work! - Tεxτurε 17:09, 18 May 2004 (UTC)[reply]

What is right - Rabin or Sharon?

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The article states that the PFLP believed Yitzhak Rabin to be on the plane, however in the article about the PFLP it says they believed that Ariel Sharon was on the plane. What is correct? Ulflarsen 14:22, 9 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In the Aviation Security article, Khaled says she didn't know at the time, but now says it was Rabin. I'm inclined to say that the Rabin thing is a politically-motivated theory and the PFLP knows itself best (admittedly a gamble for an organization that probably operated on a need-to-know basis), but I don't know why Kaled herself now believes it was Rabin. Could we just say "Israeli VIP" and discuss the ambiguity?--144.92.120.73 04:09, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

She wasn't allowed to visit?

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Is there some context for the assertion that she was "not allowed to visit" Haifa, the place of her birth? Did this injunction happen before or after she joined an organization opposed to the existence of Israel? Just wondering. Kaisershatner 14:11, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Just wondering? Is that condescension or curiosity? Until I know better, I think "not permitted to visit" was probably just nice language for "Israeli occupation of the town in 1948." Here's the text, which appeared in the Guardian, which was linked from the main article, and will now be added as a citation as well, as suggested: Khaled was born in Haifa, now on the Israeli coast, but became a refugee with her family at a camp in Tyre, Lebanon, as a toddler in 1948. (During her 1969 hijacking of the TWA flight she forced the pilot to fly over Haifa, so that she could look at the home town she was not permitted to visit.) She can barely recall a time when she was not politicised: she remembers at the age of four being told by her mother not to pick oranges because they were in Lebanon; the fruit was not theirs, they were not in Haifa now. She committed herself full-time to armed struggle at the age of 15. --144.92.120.73 03:47, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Im pretty sure with almost certainty she was "not allowed to visit" Haifa as I don't know of any refugees in Lebanon that are allowed to visit old homes or places of birth since the 1948 war. Even more so I don't know that there are even those that are allowed to go to the Israel, West Bank, & Gaza unless they are on official business such as working for news organizations or some other things. Im sure so at what point she joined the PFLP would more then likely make any difference or effect if she was allowed to visit Haifa. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.222.175.180 (talk) 16:41, 11 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Fair use rationale for Image:Leilakhalednow.JPG

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Image:Leilakhalednow.JPG is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to ensure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you. BetacommandBot (talk) 23:04, 13 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

She died several years ago

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I will try to find a reference. This article is written entirely in the present tense, and the insert refers to a biography of a living person. I am certain that she is dead. Reg nim (talk) 20:41, 6 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

She is still alive most possibly. Kasaalan (talk) 10:03, 7 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

As far as I am aware she is still alive and well and living in Amman. PatGallacher (talk) 11:17, 7 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Given that she is emerging in South Africa shortly http://www.ciibroadcasting.com/2015/01/22/zionists-in-a-frenzy-over-leila-khaled-sa-visit/ she certainly isn't dead. Ender's Shadow Snr (talk) 14:15, 22 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Her religion

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The article does not mention that she was a Christian. As a matter of fact PLPF was lead by a Christian Dr. George Habbash. All of the hijacking was done by this group, and not by Yasir Arafat's group. I am not blaming her religion for terrorism, but the Americans and Israelies always refers to PLPF hijacking as "Islamic Terrorism". Hassanfarooqi (talk) 20:55, 11 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

If you have a source, we'll definitely add it in.Sherurcij (speaker for the dead) 04:10, 12 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

'Prisoner exchange' or hostage release?

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She was released in exchange for further hostages taken in a hijacking Ender's Shadow Snr (talk) 14:13, 22 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

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IPA

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IPA is probably something like /lajlaa xaalid/ [laj'la: 'xa:lid] (Modern Standard Arabic has only /aa ii uu a i u/, no /e/ etc.) Wathiik (talk) 11:21, 27 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 30 May 2019

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The name for Sandton drive has not been changed. The local council has only resolved to rename it. Dylan.s10 (talk) 21:43, 30 May 2019 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Gangster8192 01:20, 31 May 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Source: Citizen
I live in Johannesburg; I drive on this road every other day. The road is still called Sandton Drive Setzor (talk) 06:00, 5 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Edit request 27 October 2020

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Second paragraph in lede doesn't make sense gramatically. Please replace it with the following text:

Khaled came to public attention for her role in the TWA Flight 840 hijacking in 1969 and one of the four simultaneous Dawson's Field hijackings the following year as part of the campaign of Black September in Jordan. The first woman to hijack an airplane,[1] she was later released in a prisoner exchange for civilian hostages kidnapped by her fellow PFLP members.[2][3]

Thanks--Watchlonly (talk) 04:27, 27 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

To editor Watchlonly:  done, and thank you very much! P.I. Ellsworth  ed. put'r there 15:46, 27 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]

References

  1. ^ http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/1.635856 "Notorious Palestinian Plane Hijacker to Promote BDS in South Africa"
  2. ^ MacDonald, Eileen (1991). "Leila Khaled". Shoot the Women First. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-41596-3.
  3. ^ "Something rotten in Sweden - Israel Opinion, Ynetnews". Ynetnews.com. 2011-03-11. Retrieved 2015-10-29.

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 9 November 2020

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Palestine is spelled as "Palastine" in the in popular culture section. It needs to be fixed to Palestine. Evieliam (talk) 16:13, 9 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

 Done Terasail[Talk] 16:52, 9 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Another instance of Zoom preventing Khaled from using their service

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As mentioned in the Later life section of Khaled's article, Khaled's conference at San Francisco State University was blocked by Zoom. This also happened for her New York University webinar "We Will Not Be Silenced" in the fall of 2020. I cannot find a specific date or month for this, but there is a source right here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/nyregion/college-anti-semitism-bds.html

  • that section of the article also needs a minor fix: "Following lobbying by the Jewish coalition group "End Jewish Hatred," Zoom Video Communications along with YouTube and Facebook, prevented the conference from using their video conferencing software " – either the comma after "Facebook" needs to be removed or another comma added after "Communications" Vadim Galimov (talk) 15:39, 12 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 27 January 2021

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Add external source Leila the Orange Tree, TV documentary by Rola Mansour 2000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxv4MerzIvU ROULA A1 (talk) 09:39, 27 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@ROULA A1: The YouTube video can't be linked to because it might be pirated. If you can find an official site or page for the documentary, I can add a link to that. ImTheIP (talk) 12:58, 27 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 6 June 2021

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Early Life

Khaled was born in Haifa, Mandatory Palestine, to Arab parents.[5] suggested to change to "Palestinian parents", specificity matters and using "Arab" in place of Palestinian not only negates the Palestinian identity as well as fuels Orientalism and anti-Arab racism.

Later Life

According to Khaled, there is not an Arab-Israeli "peace process. It's a political process where the balance of forces is for the Israelis and not for us. They have all the cards to play with and the Palestinians have nothing to depend on, especially when the PLO is not united."[7] suggested to move beginning quotations to after 'peace process': According to Khaled, there is not an Arab-Israeli peace process. "It's a political process..." for grammar and clarity

In mid September 2020, Khaled was scheduled to speak at a virtual Zoom conference at San Francisco State University hosted by Professor Rabab Abdulhadi and Dr Tomomi Kinukawa. Following lobbying by the Jewish coalition group "End Jewish Hatred," suggested to add Zionist before Jewish: Following lobbying by the Zionist Jewish coalition group "End Jewish Hatred"... This group is specifically a Zionist Jewish coalition, they cite pro-Palestine rallies as well as claims of apartheid as examples of anti-Semitism.[1] Again, specificity matters and denoting them only as a Jewish group feeds into the idea that all Jewish people are Zionists which can fuel anti-Semitic beliefs and actions.

Thank you for your time Seasweet (talk) 00:50, 6 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. — LeoFrank  Talk 10:24, 6 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

References

  1. ^ https://www.theoaklandpress.com/local-news/local-teen-forms-local-end-jewish-hatred-group-organizes-shelby-township-rally/article_06d3bd6d-f56e-50aa-90c9-2dd05cf7850e.amp.html

A Terrorist isn't called a Terrorist

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Stay classy wiki. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.90.240.42 (talk) 23:52, 24 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Amen 136.55.51.105 (talk) 17:10, 9 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Atheist

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Irreligious? Is that the political correct term for Atheist? 196.249.97.121 (talk) 18:17, 3 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

She is a terrorist!!

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Whoever wrote that she is a refugee is a shame to Wikipedia עמית בינדר1 (talk) 05:49, 8 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

To have a neutral statements

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I think it's better to describe here as Palestinian activist and considered to be a terrorist by allies of Israel. Otherwise the article is only one side point of view.

I know if I made the edit I may be blocked. محمود (talk) 11:23, 30 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

She's a terrorist. She's not "considered" a terrorist; she is a terrorist. Whether you agree with her and celebrate her terrorism doesn't change the fact that she is "a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims." That's the definition of a terrorist, of which she is one. The fact that Wikipedia can't identify her as what she is, merely proves what a joke Wikipedia has become. 24.162.72.220 (talk) 17:08, 9 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 14 January 2023

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Leila Khaled was not a freedom fighter, she was a terrorist, stop spreading misinformation. 86.5.78.105 (talk) 23:42, 14 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. the word "freedom" doesn't appear in this article. What exactly are you requesting be changed? Cannolis (talk) 01:26, 15 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

edit request 22 October 2023

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I would like an edit to remove a sentence or add a [citation needed]. The sentence is under "El Al Flight 219 (1970)", it's the line:

"However, while being overpowered, she withdrew the safety pin from one of the grenades and rolled it down the aisle towards the economy class passengers; miraculously it did not explode and thus cause general de-pressurisation and the probable crash of the plane.[9]"

The nearest references, 9 and 12, do not mention anything about her throwing a grenade. This line was inserted 25 May 2021 without additional sources provided. Thank you. BunnyBionics (talk) 10:33, 22 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah I looked into it and the only reports of a grenade being thrown were about her partner after the pilot put them into a nosedive. I also don't know where they got the 'miraculously' bit. From what I read she's the only one mentioned to have pulled out the pins of the grenades so I'm guessing it slipped out of his hand and he never pulled the pin, which would explain it not exploding. That or he just forgot to throw the pin. The sources as to what exactly went down contradict a bit so we'll never really know. One says that they pulled out guns and approached the cockpit while another says Argüello didn't pull out his gun until he got hit in the head with a whiskey bottle and khaled only had grenades. Smcnicho (talk) 19:14, 19 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 19 November 2023

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The report of the hijacking of El Al Flight 219 makes multiple errors. The sources report that the grenade which was reportedly thrown towards the passengers was thrown by her accomplice Argüello, not Khaled. Khaled had removed the pins from her grenades, and used them to threaten the pilots to gain access to the cockpit; no mention is made as to whether Argüello had ever removed the pin from his grenade. The report also states that the explosion of the grenade would result in the probable crash of the plane. This is speculation and no source indicates that the grenade would cause enough damage to crash the plane. The report currently claims that the pilot's refusal to comply was due to Argüello shooting a member of the flight crew; however, the sources indicate this shooting happened after the pilot had put the plane into a nose-dive. The report also states that the explosion of the grenade would result in the probable crash of the plane. This is speculation and no source indicates that the grenade would cause enough damage to crash the plane. Due to the report being almost completely made up of inaccuracy and speculation I suggest a complete rewrite of the following section. Due to sources having conflicting chronology I am avoiding details regarding how things went down exactly.

The attack was foiled when Israeli skymarshals killed Argüello before eventually overpowering Khaled. Although she was carrying two hand grenades at the time, Khaled said she had received very strict instructions not to threaten passengers on the civilian flight. However, while being overpowered, she withdrew the safety pin from one of the grenades and rolled it down the aisle towards the economy class passengers; miraculously it did not explode and thus cause general de-pressurisation and the probable crash of the plane.[9] Argüello had shot Vider, a member of the flight crew, twice, and the pilot Uri Bar-Lev therefore refused orders to return to Tel Aviv to bring Khaled to justice.[12]

The pilot diverted the aircraft to Heathrow Airport in London, where the two sky marshals were smuggled on the tarmac to another El Al aircraft waiting for takeoff to Tel Aviv. Vider was rushed to hospital with minutes to live and Khaled was delivered to Ealing police station. On October 1, the British government released her in exchange for hostages taken in a further hijacking.[13]

Change into: Khaled and Argüello threatened to detonate grenades if they were not granted access to the cockpit. The pilots refused to comply, and instead put the plane into a nosedive. Though sources differ on the chronology of these events, in the resulting scuffle someone hit Argüello in the head with a bottle of whiskey; Argüello shot and injured a crew member and reportedly threw a grenade which did not explode towards the passengers; and sky marshals shot Argüello multiple times, mortally wounding him. The pilot diverted the aircraft to Heathrow Airport in London. An ambulance took the injured crew member and Argüello to the hospital. The crewmember survived while Argüello died in the ambulance. Khaled was arrested though later released during a hostage exchange. [1][2][3][4] Smcnicho (talk) 16:10, 19 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I think i found out what the report mean when it said "Argüello had shot Vider, a member of the flight crew, twice, and the pilot Uri Bar-Lev therefore refused orders to return to Tel Aviv to bring Khaled to justice" The page for Arguello states that the air marshals ordered him ot go to tel aviv so they could arrest khaled but he went to heathrow to get quicker medical attention. I couldn't find this in the nearest source on that page though so it might not be accurate but if it is then the source should be cited and the writing clarified. Smcnicho (talk) 19:23, 19 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
 Done * Pppery * it has begun... 02:48, 23 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I do not have time to look into this right now but I was looking back at this and noticed that one of my sources, 'Jewish Virtual Library' references the wikipedia page for the hijackings. Assuming that page to have been similarly inaccurate as this one was prior to the edits and to avoiding circular citations I suggest the removal of that source and a rereading to see if any edits are necessary to remove information coming solely from that source. Due to the bias this site has shown and the lack of proper research done their evidenced by citing said article I would also advise others to be very careful when using this source and to avoid it if at all possible. Smcnicho (talk) 18:35, 27 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

References

  1. ^ https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19700906-1
  2. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20070629145702/http://www.mqm.com/English-News/Jan-2001/leilakhalid.htm
  3. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003701/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/hijacked/peopleevents/p_crews.html
  4. ^ https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-pflp-hijacking-of-five-planes

Redundancy?

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"[s]he joined the pan-Arab Arab Nationalist Movement" → → shouldn't it be "she joined the Arab Nationalist Movement"? 65.88.88.56 (talk) 19:33, 4 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Notes

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El Al flight 219 (1970)

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It might be appropriate to add commas, as per the following, to improve punctuation, "Argüello shot and injured a crew member and reportedly threw a grenade, which did not explode, towards the passengers; and sky marshals shot Argüello multiple times, mortally wounding him." Thank you Mickey Smiths (talk) 20:13, 8 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Proper punctuation is not my strongsuit so I would support this. Smcnicho (talk) 18:23, 27 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Ok, thanks. It will be better than it was. Mickey Smiths (talk) 05:39, 28 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Blatant WP:NPOV violations

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In a revision from 12:52, 27 June 2024 misleadingly described as simply moving biographical details up to the intro, MeUser42's edit removed the reference to Khaled being a former refugee and changed the line describing her as a former militant to one describing her as a "terror operative." This seems like a clear WP:NPOV and MOS: TERRORIST issue.

2605:8D80:324:50AA:EC09:48B1:CC8D:231A (talk) 20:47, 5 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

South Africa

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Sandton Drive is not named after this person. Who writes this drivel 197.89.55.230 (talk) 08:47, 24 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 14 December 2024

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Below is a transcript of Leila Khaled’s Wikipedia page, stopping just before the “Later life” section. Text that is bolded indicates our contributions. Due to our inability to edit the page directly, we have included numbered in-line references per section below.

Leila Khaled

Leila Khaled (Arabic: ليلى خالد [ˈlajla ˈxaːled]; born April 9, 1944) is a former Palestinian militant and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). She is famous as the first woman to hijack an airplane.

Khaled gained her prominence for her role in the TWA Flight 840 hijacking in 1969 and one of the four simultaneous Dawson's Field hijackings the following year as part of the campaign of Black September in Jordan. After being imprisoned, she was released in a prisoner exchange for civilian hostages kidnapped by other PFLP members.

Early Life Khaled was born on April 9, 1944, in Haifa, Mandatory Palestine, to Arab parents.[4] Her family fled to Lebanon on April 13, 1948, as part of the 1948 Nakba (“Catastrophe”),[4] leaving her father behind. As a young girl, Khaled attended the Saida School for Girls in Lebanon, where she organized fellow students, led rallies, and delivered lectures on Palestine.[1] She later attended the American University of Beirut (AUB) for one year. In her biography, Khaled expressed dismay at AUB’s prohibition of political demonstrations, rallies, and guest speakers. She was threatened with expulsion from AUB for her political activities, specifically distributing political pamphlets on Palestine.[2]

Early Life section references: Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 22-23. Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 28.

[NEW SECTION]: Involvement in Arab Nationalist Movement (ANM), Fatah, and Palestinian Front for Liberation (PFLP) At the age of 15, following in the footsteps of her brother, she joined the pan-Arab[5] Arab Nationalist Movement, originally established in the late-1940s by George Habash, then a medical student at the American University of Beirut. The Palestinian branch of this movement became the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine after the 1967 Six-Day War, which Khaled promptly joined.

During her involvement with the ANM, when she was unable to make contact with members of the PFLP, she participated in Fatah activities instead. Khaled took issue with to whom Fatah was accountable, why it accepted funds from Saudi Arabia, and the nature of their socio-economic agenda.[1] She desired to participate in the movement beyond fundraising. Khaled expressed that Fatah was not the most effective organization for the Palestinian liberation movement.[2] Upon making contact with the PFLP, Khaled was told that she must spread political awareness among her workplace before she can participate in militant missions. Khaled was instrumental in building a PFLP network while she was a teacher in Kuwait.[3] The school she taught at became a hub of political activity for the resistance.

After expressing a desire to join the PFLP’s special operation squad, she received advanced, specialized training.

Khaled was inspired after hearing news of the 1968 PFLP hijacking of an El-Al airplane, where she then distanced herself from Fatah and sought to contact the PFLP.

Khaled spent some time teaching in Kuwait and, in her autobiography, recounted crying the day she heard that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated.

Involvement in Arab Nationalist Movement (ANM), Fatah, and Palestinian Front for Liberation (PFLP) Section references: Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 45. Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 46. Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 45.

The Hijackings TWA Flight 840 (1969) On August 29, 1969, Khaled was part of a team that hijacked TWA Flight 840 on its way from Rome to Tel Aviv, diverting the Boeing 707 to Damascus. Khaled and her partner boarded TWA Flight 840 in Rome, and while in midair, she and her partner stormed the cockpit. Khaled announced to the passengers aboard that they were the Che Guevara Commando Unit of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and save for one person responsible for the destruction of Palestinian people, the passengers were not in danger so long as they fully cooperated.[1]

She ordered the plane to fly over Haifa so she and her partner could see their homeland, and she ordered the pilots to fly over Tel Aviv in an act of defiance against the Israeli government. According to some media sources, the PFLP leadership thought that Yitzhak Rabin, then Israeli ambassador to the United States, would be on board; he was not. However, according to her autobiography, she claims this was not the plan and that she would not have boarded the plane in Rome if it was. She claims she ordered the pilot to fly over Haifa, so she could see her birthplace. No one was injured, but after the passengers disembarked, the hijackers blew up the nose section of the aircraft. In her autobiography, she states that she made an address to the passengers after the explosion, where she detailed the PFLP’s reasons for hijacking the plane:

“We diverted Flight 840 because TWA is one of the largest American airlines that services the Israeli air routes and, more importantly, because it is an American plane. The American government is Israel's staunchest supporter. It supplies Israel with weapons for our destruction. It gives the Zionists tax-free American dollars. It supports Israel at world conferences. It helps them in every possible way. We are against America because she is an imperialist country.”[2]

Khaled and her mission partner Salim surrendered to Syrian authorities and turned over their weapons. She was then incarcerated in a Syrian prison, where she went on hunger strike.[3] She was later held and moved between Syrian guest houses before ultimately being returned to Lebanon.

After this hijacking, and a photograph of her (taken by Eddie Adams) holding an AK-47 rifle and wearing a kaffiyeh was reproduced in many publications, she underwent six plastic surgery operations on her nose and chin to conceal her identity and allow her to take part in a future hijacking, and because she did not want to wear the face of an icon. Following the TWA 840 hijacking, Khaled was elected to the central committee of the PFLP.

El Al Flight 219 (1970) On September 6, 1970, Khaled and Patrick Argüello, a Nicaraguan–American, attempted to hijack El Al Flight 219 from Amsterdam to New York City as part of the Dawson's Field hijackings, a series of almost simultaneous hijackings carried out by the PFLP. Khaled and Argüello threatened to detonate grenades if they were not granted access to the cockpit. The pilots refused to comply, and instead put the plane into a nosedive. Though sources differ on the chronology of these events, in the resulting scuffle someone hit Argüello in the head with a bottle of whiskey; Argüello shot and injured a crew member and reportedly threw a grenade which did not explode towards the passengers. According to Khaled, sky marshals tied Argüello up, beat him, and then shot him in the back four times at close range, effectively executing him. They also tied up Khaled and beat her severely, trampling both of them and calling her obscene names.[4] and sky marshals shot Argüello multiple times, mortally wounding him. The pilot diverted the aircraft to Heathrow Airport in London. After passengers disembarked upon their arrival, British officers boarded the plane. Israeli officers demanded Kahled and Argüello be handed over to them, and the Israeli pilot kicked her multiple times. British and Israeli officers quarreled over whose prisoner Khaled would be. Ultimately, the British took her into custody. Khaled expressed in her autobiography that she believed that was the safer option for her. Khaled states she took advantage of her situation being incarcerated in the London Ealing prison to advertise her political causes.[5] She was ultimately released in a prisoner exchange. [6]


An ambulance took the injured crew member and Argüello to the hospital. The crew member survived while Argüello died in the ambulance. Khaled was arrested though later released during a hostage exchange.

Hijacking section references: Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 59-60. Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 62. Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 63. Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 83. Jradi, Lyne. “Leila Khalid in Conversation about Revolution.” Medium. April 3, 2024. https://medium.com/@lynjradi/leila-khalid-in-conversation-about-revolution-85c2cf8c9c37. Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 80-84.

[NEW SECTION]: Philosophy

On Socialism

Beginning from her childhood in a refugee camp, Khaled believed in the abolition of class systems in framing the Palestinian struggle.[1] Khaled believed that the poor and the working class (peasantry) are what make Palestine, as they are the ones who live, cultivate, and harvest Palestinian land, and those are who she must serve. [2] Khaled drew much of her early inspiration from Izz Edeen Kassam, a Syrian Muslim preacher and revolutionary of the 1930s, as a major inspiration due to his organization of the working and peasant class and participation in armed struggle.[3] Khaled also admired Ho Chi Minh as a revolutionary figure, and looked up to Cuba, particularly Che Guevara, as a reimagined socialist state. Khaled believed that the struggle of the people in Cuba that led to the declaration of socialism in their country was an expression of liberation for the oppressed world, and drew many lessons from their struggle (3). The PLFP’s cultural and educational programs are based on theory, and since its founding has adopted Marxist-Leninist thought. But by the fifth congress of the Popular Front in 1993, Marxism-Leninism became an instrument of the work, adapted to objective conditions and the specific needs of political programs.[4] 

Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 9.

Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 15. Mforinoco, and Mforinoco. “Interview With Historic Activist Palestinian Leila Khaled: ‘Surrender or Fight.’” Orinoco Tribune - News and Opinion Pieces About Venezuela and Beyond, December 11, 2024. https://orinocotribune.com/interview-with-historic-activist-palestinian-leila-khaled-surrender-or-fight/#. Lorenzo, Santiago. “Interview With Historic Activist Palestinian Leila Khaled: ‘Surrender or Fight,’” Orinoco Tribune - News and Opinion Pieces About Venezuela and Beyond, December 11, 2024, https://orinocotribune.com/interview-with-historic-activist-palestinian-leila-khaled-surrender-or-fight/#.

On Gender

As a revolutionary, Leila Khaled battled the gendered expectations of her time. Her mother was strongly against the girls in her family partaking in any kind of political activity. [1] She believed that in comparison to the two kinds of oppression the women of the West face (class and sexual,) Palestinian women face four kinds of oppression: national, social (the weight of traditions and habits), class, and sexual oppression.[2] Khaled saw two challenges within the participation of women in armed struggle for liberation: First, she understood society to be inherently sexist and patriarchal. Second, under the Israeli occupation, Khaled believed that there was no “middle ground” for Palestinian women, and that their only options were to surrender or fight.[3] As a woman, Khaled saw “struggle” and her acts of combat as a representation of liberation not only for Palestinians, but for all oppressed women.[4] Following the hijacking, Khaled was originally hesitant to respond to any media or interview requests: not only was she afraid to make political mistakes, but felt that those mistakes would reflect poorly on Palestinian women.[5] Since Khaled’s involvement in the PFLP, she has discussed how women's integral place (and her being a mother) in the liberation movement and its meaning shifted:

“In the beginning, all women had to prove that we could be equal to men in armed struggle. So we wanted to be like men - even in our appearance... I no longer think it's necessary to prove ourselves as women by imitating men. I have learned that a woman can be a fighter, a freedom fighter, a political activist, and that she can fall in love, and be loved, she can be married, have children, be a mother... Revolution must mean life also; every aspect of life." [6]

On Gender references: Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 15. Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 25. BreakThrough News, “Leila Khaled Interview: Palestine Is an International Liberation Struggle,” October 27, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BBvzyKL-G4. Capire. “Leila Khaled: ‘Where There Is Repression, There Is Resistance,’” November 9, 2023. https://capiremov.org/en/interview/leila-khaled-where-there-is-repression-there-is-resistance/. BreakThrough News, “Leila Khaled Interview: Palestine Is an International Liberation Struggle,” October 27, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BBvzyKL-G4. Marta Dival “The Interview: Leila Khaled,” New Internationalist. October 2, 2024. https://newint.org/features/2023/06/05/interview-leila-khaled-palestine.

Palestinian Liberation & Armed Struggle

Khaled believes that the aim of the Palestinian liberation movement is the establishment of a national democratic state in Palestine in which Arabs and Jews can live as equal citizens. She has expressed that the Palestinian liberation movement is not aimed against the Jewish people. Rather, she states that its aim is to break the military, political and economic entity of Israel which is based on aggression, expansion and organic unity with the interests of imperialism in her homeland.[1]

She holds that the Flight TWA 840 hijacking was an essential means by which to assert her own humanity and the humanity of the Palestinian people.[2] She maintains that it was an act of resistance and protest against the West for its Zionist alignment, which is in direct opposition to Palestinian sovereignty. For Khaled, armed struggle is a fundamental condition of this resistance.[3] She affirms that arms are “an embodiment of my humanity and my determination to liberate myself and my fellow men,”[4] and that violence is a useful tool for grabbing otherwise apathetic actors’ attention.

Palestinian Liberation & Armed Struggle references: Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 49. Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 55. New Internationalist. “The Interview: Leila Khaled,” October 2, 2024. https://newint.org/features/2023/06/05/interview-leila-khaled-palestine. // Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live,” 4.

On terrorism Khaled has repeatedly subverted predominant understandings of terrorism, where she argues that the Israeli state are the “heroes” of terrorism, despite the prevailing opposing argument that Israel is fighting terror.[1] For Khaled, Israeli occupation is “peak” terrorism, and dismisses claims that armed struggle to defend one’s homeland constitutes terrorism. [2] In an interview, when asked whether or not she considered herself a terrorist, she replied: “Whenever I hear this word I ask another question. Who planted terrorism in our area? Some came and took our land, forced us to leave, forced us to live in camps. I think this is terrorism. Using means to resist this terrorism and stop its effects—this is called struggle.” [3]

On terrorism references: Capire. “Leila Khaled: ‘Where There Is Repression, There Is Resistance,’” November 9, 2023. https://capiremov.org/en/interview/leila-khaled-where-there-is-repression-there-is-resistance/. Green Left. “Leila Khaled: Let the Palestinian Resistance Speak,” February 29, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq726BaL__4. New Internationalist. “The Interview: Leila Khaled,” October 2, 2024. https://newint.org/features/2023/06/05/interview-leila-khaled-palestine.

On Zionism & Western Imperialism

Khaled’s position against Zionism and Western imperialism informed her activity in the PFLP. She condemned the United State’s attempt to use Israel as a Western stronghold in the Middle East, arguing that it sought to weaken and divide the Arab World [1]. She rejected the notion of peace processes initiated by the United States or Israel.

Khaled has stated that Zionism was initially denied by the United Nations, and that Zionism is a political and racist movement predicated on the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians [2]. She critiques Zionism as capitalizing upon the suffering of Jewish people to serve the interests of Western imperialism.[3]

Khaled similarly condemned U.S. imperialism in Latin America and Vietnam, and believed that the Palestinian liberation movement should note the struggles that took place there.

On Zionism & Western Imperialism references: Khaled, Glubb, and HAJJAR, “My People Shall Live.” Green Left. “Leila Khaled: Let the Palestinian Resistance Speak,” February 29, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq726BaL__4. Mirandashorts (talk) 00:06, 14 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

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