Palestinian Solidarity Campaign distances itself from event with terrorist hijacker

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has attempted to distance itself from an event advertised as a fundraiser for its West Midlands branch following an outcry after it emerged the Palestinian plane hijacker Leila Khaled is set to be among the speakers.

But the Birmingham restaurant hosting the £25 a-head event on Friday confirmed to Jewish News that it was still going ahead, despite widespread anger at the appearance, by video link, of Khaled, a former member of the Popular Front who praised those behind the 7 October Hamas terror attack as “freedom fighters”.

The PSC confirmed on Thursday that “the framing of the event did not clearly fall within the framework of the principles” held by the organisation.

The Jewish Leadership Council and the We Believe in Israel campaign group had been among those to raise series concerns about the event.

Khaled, 79, the first woman to hijack an airplane, is a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, (PFLP), which has been designated a terrorist organisation by the European Union, but is no longer proscribed by the UK after Brexit.

The separate, but similarly-named, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, is proscribed by the UK.

Asked to comment on the staging of the event a Home Office spokesperson said:”We are clear extremism has no place in our society.

“We use the full breadth of government tools and levers to explore how to protect individuals against content and materials used to radicalise others into terrorism.

“It is a matter for the police, in conjunction with the CPS, to determine whether or not a terrorism offence has been committed.”

In a statement the PSC confirmed to the Jewish News: “PSC has repeatedly stated our firm belief that international law is the framework within which we must judge any use of force.

“International law makes clear that an occupied people have the right to resist, including through the use of armed resistance. It also makes clear the illegality of the use of force against non combatants.

“All events supported by any of our nearly 100 affiliated local branches must respect these principles.

“An event was scheduled to take place later this week, originally with the sponsorship of a local branch in the West Midlands where the framing of the event did not clearly fall within the framework of the principles outlined above. On that basis the branch has agreed to withdraw its sponsorship of the event.

“The priority of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is to work tirelessly for an immediate ceasefire, in order to stop what the ICJ has accepted as a plausible case of genocide. We will not allow those who oppose peace and justice for the Palestinian people to divert us away from this urgent priority.”

Khaled is due to appear at the event, being held at a restaurant in the Sparkbrook district of Birmingham, alongside Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, which targets companies in the UK that it claims provide weapons to Israel.

Jewish News spoke with the restaurant on Thursday, which confirmed the event was still happening.

It is unclear whether Khaled is still speaking, as the restaurant staff seemed unaware of the line-up.

Last month in an interview Khaled, who was born in Haifa, and now lives in Jordan, had defended the actions of the Hamas on 7 October.

She said: “The freedom fighters did not attack ordinary people [on October 7], they attacked the military settlements. But when the borders were open, some other people took civilians”.

Khaled became an infamous figure in 1969 after hijacking a plane on its way from Rome to Tel Aviv, and a photograph of her holding an AK-47 rifle was published around the world, as she became an icon for those who believed terrorism was the best means to take the fight to Israel.

The following year she attempted to hijack a plane from Amsterdam to New York. The plane diverted to Heathrow and she was later released in a hostage exchange.

Prior to the PSC’s decision to withdraw its backing of Friday’s event Claudia Mendoza, director of the Jewish Leadership Council, said: “Leila Khaled is a terrorist who has hijacked planes and in recent months sought to defend, legitimise and even glorify the barbaric Hamas attack. It is outrageous and inexcusable that the Palestine Solidarity Campaign would host such a figure in the UK.”

The PSC has been the main group organising the anti-Israel demos in London and across the UK following the 7 October massacre.