Johannesburg considers changing street name in honour of a Palestinian militant woman who hijacked a plane

TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA

The City of Johannesburg is considering renaming a major street in the financial district of Sandton after a militant Palestinian woman who who was involved in the hijacking of a plane more than 50 years ago. The proposal, which has sparked fierce criticism from various quarters, will see the city rename Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive in honour of Leila Khaled, the now 80-year-old member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). 

Leila Khaled [Image: Eddie Adams]

The municipality, which issued a notice to this effect last week, has since provided a 28-day window for stakeholders to furnish their feedback in light of this controversial move. 

Khaled attracted worldwide infamy in 1969 when she was involved, together with other militants, in the hijacking of a TWA flight from Rome to Tel Aviv. With this high-profile political act, she became the first woman to hijack a plane. She was only 25 at the time this happened, creating a hero image that has lasted up to this day. 

She was also one of two people who attempted to hijack an El Al flight from Amsterdam to New York City the next year, an event that resulted in the other hijacker being fatally shot by air marshals.

But while she may be a hero to Palestinians and those who support the Palestinian cause, Israel views her as a terrorist. The PFLP is part of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people. While the main PLO faction, Fatah, recognizes Israel’s right to exist, the PFLP does not, and Israel, the United States and other Western allies of Israel consider it a terrorist group.

The proposal to rename Sandton Drive in her honour has been met with mixed reactions. This is not the first time that the issue has been brought up—it dates back to 2018 when it was first raised and caused an intense fight among the city officials. In that year, it was Al Jama-ah, a pro-Palestinian minority party in the Johannesburg council, and supported by the African National Congress, South Africa’s largest political party.

Johnannesburg officials are looking at renaming Sandton Drive in the city’s financial district after Leila Khaled, a Palestinian militant who was involved in hijacking a plane more than 50 years ago. [Image: Denis Farrell/Associated Press]

This time, it has been raised again, and just as in 2018, there is no consensus that this should be adopted, hence the 28-day window to provide feedback. The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) is opposed to the move, citing that the US Consulate in Johannesburg is located in Sandton Drive, and that renaming the street “after a failed terrorist with ties to a globally recognized terrorist organization” would sow division in South Africa, according to spokesperson Rolene Marks. Marks also said that this would provocative to Johannesburg's Jewish community. 

Al Jama-ah said renaming the street would show solidarity with the Palestinian people and be a recognition of their struggle. “While some argue that we should focus on South African heroes, we should not ignore international figures who have fought for justice and freedom,” said Thapelo Ahmad, the Johannesburg chairperson of Al Jama-ah and the former mayor of the city who originally proposed the name change in 2018.

While there is much contention regarding this move, it should be viewed in the context of South Africa's deep historical ties with the Palestinian struggle, as well as its desire to do away with colonial references that should be supplanted by references which reflect the country's majority Black population. 

The proposal is clear evidence of South Africa's unwavering support to Palestine, which is being bombarded by Israel daily since October 7 last year. In December 2023, South Africa brought Israel to the International Court of Justice accusing it of launching a genocide on Palestinians. It wants Israel to answer for its alleged breaches of the 1948 UN Convention on Genocide. 

As it stands, Palestinian health authorities assert that approximately 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its counteroffensive in late October. In all this, Israel intransigently denies any wrongdoing, claiming it is defending its sovereignty. 

(with reporting from the Associated Press)