Leila Khaled, heroine of a spate of Palestinian aircraft hijackings some 20 years ago, has emerged from years of obscurity as a radical firebrand, calling for a Palestinian takeover of all of Israel.
“The day that we achieve independence will signify the defeat of Israel as a state — a state built on our ruins,” she wrote in the January issue of the London-based Middle East Monthly.
But Khaled debated whether the conquest should begin in the Arab-populated territories or in the heart of Israel. “I am from Haifa and would like to go back there,” she wrote.
“But should there be a struggle for the liberation of Haifa, where the Israelis are concentrated, or should we first liberate the West Bank and Gaza, where the Arabs are concentrated?” she asked.
Said Khaled, “Our first objective is to return to Nablus and then move on to Tel Aviv.”
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