1969 Palestinian revolutionary icon Leila Khaled joins hunger strike

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

Leila Khaled was interviewed by ‘An Phoblacht’ in 2005 when she was refused a visa by the British authorities to speak at Féile an Phobail in Belfast

PALESTINIAN GUERRILLA ICON Leila Khaled went on hunger strike at the weekend in solidarity with 1,600 prisoners in Israeli jails.

The female fighter’s picture swept across the world’s TV screens and newspaper front pages in 1969 when she was part of a co-ordinated seizure of four airliners by commandos from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine battling against Israeli occupation.

Some media dubbed her “the international pin-up of armed struggle”.

Now aged 73, she joins a number of solidarity hunger strikes across the globe and the symbolic #SaltWaterChallenge.

The actions aim to draw attention to the #DignityStrike hunger strike begun by more than 1,500 Palestinian prisoners on 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day.

Their demands include an end to the denial of family visits, the right to pursue higher education, for appropriate medical care and treatment, and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.

Leila Khaled told reporters when she made her announcement at the prisoners’ support tent in Amman, Jordan:

“The prisoners on hunger strike are in direct confrontation with the enemy but they have only the weapon of the empty stomach.

“To the heroes on hunger strike in Israeli prison, I join you in this strike from this moment.”

● The PFLP tweets that Leila Khaled has joined the hunger strike

Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network Samidoun said that the Israeli regime is trying to break the prisoners’ spirit and resistance:

“Strikers have faced sharp repression, including frequent late-night raids by repressive forces, abusive transfers from prison to prison, solitary confinement, denial of legal and family visits, and confiscation of personal belongings, sometimes including salt. Hunger strikers rely on consuming only salt and water to preserve their lives during the strike.”

It has been reported that the 83-year-old Gregory III Lahham, the Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Alexandria and Jerusalem, has launched a hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinians in Israeli jails and said:

“I say to the prisoners, we are with you in your sacrifice for Palestine.”

◼︎ In 2005, Leila Khaled was refused a visa by the British Government to take part in a panel at Féile an Phobail in Belfast even though she had previously fulfilled speaking engagements in England. She joined the audience by video link and she addressed public meetings in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. She also spoke to An Phoblacht.