Meeting Palestinian hero Leila Khaled

The writer was part of a Solidarity Delegation of members of Workers World Party and the Bronx Anti-War Coalition that traveled to Nicaragua in July for a commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the victory of the Sandinista Revolution. 

During our trip to Nicaragua, we never thought we would meet Leila Khaled. However, her visit during this time in July is actually no surprise to those familiar with the details of her life and the parallels between the Palestinian and Nicaraguan liberation struggles.

Palestinian revolutionary, socialist and guerrilla fighter Leila Khaled is famous for hijacking passenger planes in 1969 and 1970. As she explained: “Our goal was to release our prisoners, especially women, and to raise awareness internationally about the Palestinian cause. We wanted the world to know we are not just refugees who need aid and live in tents, we are a people with a cause.”

Few people know that her comrade in the second operation was revolutionary Nicaraguan fighter Patrick Argüello. He connected with members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, including George Habash, for guerrilla training to support the Sandinista cause. During the 1970 plane hijacking with Khaled, he was martyred. His legacy lives, as the bond between Palestine and Nicaragua remains strong.

Because of their shared fight against Western imperialism, the people of Nicaragua have an intuitive understanding of the Palestinian struggle and the necessary means to achieve national liberation. Just as the Zionist project worked — and still works — at the behest of U.S. capital, so did the brutal dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza, trampling on the dignity of Nicaraguans through the use of the U.S.-created Guardia Nacional.

After a series of striking blows at the Somoza regime, the people’s insurrection against U.S. imperialism was solidified through guerilla tactics when Managua was liberated on July 19, 1979, by the Sandinista National Liberation Front.

On the 45th anniversary of the victorious revolution, Khaled spoke alongside Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and other international anti-imperialist figures. In her speech on the evening of July 19, Khaled spoke about the Palestinian struggle as one waged against Zionism, fascism and Nazism. She also mentioned the essential role women hold in the revolution as the preservers of life. We see this truth in the Sandinista revolution, as women made up 30% of the guerrilla fighters.

We honor Leila Khaled by learning from her life-long dedication to liberation. We call on folks to escalate their sacrifice and struggle for liberation, to dedicate themselves to study and political education and to observe the Thawabit (“fundamental principles,” often referred to as “Palestine’s red lines”).

Palestine will be free – from the river to the sea!

Long live international solidarity!

More from the solidarity delegation to Nicaragua: workers.org/2024/07/79996/ and workers.org/2024/07/79814/