A leader facing life or death in jail
Last August Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir barged his way into the cell of Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti, often spoken of as a future leader.
‘You won’t win,’ Ben-Gvir said. ‘Whoever messes with the nation of Israel, whoever murders our children and women, we will wipe them out.’ This emerged in a 13-second video released by Ben-Gvir himself from his visit to Barghouti, who is in solitary confinement in Israel’s brutal Ganot prison.
The video was the first public sighting of Barghouti for 10 years. He looked frail and thin; his wife Fadwa said she could not recognise him.
Barghouti was sentenced in 2002 to five life terms plus 40 years in prison, accused of involvement in a series of murders during the Second Intifada (2000-05), a mass uprising by Palestinians against the Israeli occupation.
Barghouti had refused to acknowledge or cooperate with the Israeli court, but stated that he had no connection to the killings. Over the 23 years there have been frequent reports of torture, resulting in blood clots, fractured ribs, a shoulder injury, and an ear infection.
top of the list of prisoners to be freed in the hostage exchange. Israel refused, as it has for years
Barghouti is a charismatic figure who regularly comes top in polls on opinions for the future of Palestinian leadership. He has support across the spectrum of Palestinian politics, since he rose to prominence in the nationalist party Fatah, which founded the PLO and controls the Palestinian Authority, and enjoys the support of Hamas which governed Gaza, and of other more radical groups.
In the negotiations towards the supposed ceasefire last October, Hamas placed Barghouti at the top of the list of prisoners to be freed in the hostage exchange. Israel refused, as it has for years.
In response to one appeal in January, Ben-Gvir said he should rather be executed: ‘Marwan Barghouti should be taken out. He is a murderer, he is a terrorist.’ A bill to impose the death penalty on convicted terrorists is currently progressing through the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset.
