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Leila Khaled

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Terrorist

The Resume

    (April 9, 1944- )
    Born in Haifa, Israel
    Member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Palestinian National Council
    First woman to hijack a plane
    Participated in the hijackings of TWA Flight 840 (August 29, 1969) and El Al Flight 219 (September 6, 1970)
    Captured during her second hijacking and imprisoned at Ealing, United Kingdom
    Released in exchange for hostages of another PFLP hijacking (October 1, 1970)
    Subject of the movie Leila Khaled, Hijacker (2005), a portrait made out of lipsticks called The Icon, and at least five songs

Why she might be annoying:

    She is a chain smoker.
    Like many Palestinian terrorists, she insists that her actions are 'resistance' and that Israel's actions against the Palestinians constitute as 'terrorism'.
    Even though she is against murdering hostages, she had no regrets scaring them with grenades, claiming that such feelings of fear are short-lived and worth promoting her cause.
    She opposes the Arab-Israeli peace process, calling it a 'political process' that tilts the balance in favor of the Israelis over the Palestinians.
    Many people feel that she continues the age-old stereotype that Palestinians are terrorists.
    She once said, 'I represent Palestinians, not women,' which frustrated women even though she overcame the patriarchal nature of Arab society through her activities.
    She was the butt of a dirty joke in a Norwegian newspaper poking fun at her 'bombs' (a euphemism meaning 'boobs').
    She thinks the Cuban and Venezuelan governments are among the best in the world.

Why she might not be annoying:

    She stands up for her own beliefs.
    Her family was forced to leave her father behind and flee to Lebanon during the Palestinian Exodus. (April 13, 1948)
    She underwent no fewer than six plastic surgeries in order to avoid recognition.
    She took a liking for the United Kingdom, where she described the people as nice and corresponded with two policewomen who guarded her.
    She is the inspiration for the Doctor Who character Leela.
    Her younger sister and her sister's fiancée were killed because they were mistaken for Leila and her husband.
    For some reason, being the first woman to hijack a plane sounds like a badass achievement, albeit a bizarre one as well.
    She's currently living a hard life with her second husband and their two sons in Jordan.

Credit: Big Lenny


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 607 Votes: 69.69% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 50 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 16 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 139 Votes: 53.24% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3467 Votes: 61.12% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1027 Votes: 60.76% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 189 Votes: 81.48% Annoying