Johannesburg considers naming a street after a Palestinian woman who hijacked a plane

Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Officials in South Africa’s biggest city of Johannesburg have proposed renaming a major street after a Palestinian woman who was involved in the hijacking of a plane more than 50 years ago. It has sparked criticism from several political parties and the city’s Jewish community. The city is considering naming the street in its financial district of Sandton after Leila Khaled, a Palestinian militant and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine group. Khaled, who is now 80 years old, was involved in the hijacking of a TWA flight in 1969 and attempted to hijack an Israeli Airlines plane in 1970.