Marwan Barghouti
Photo: Gil Yohanan
'Withdrawal to '67 lines would signal conflict's end'
Former Tanzim chief Marwan Barghouti says Arab Spring bound to benefit Palestinians' peaceful resistance; says there's only one way to end conflict
Marwan Barghouti, former Fatah Secretary-General in the West Bank who is serving a life sentence in Israel for terror activities, told Ynet on Wednesday that "the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will end once Israel withdraws to the 1967 lines."
Barghouti testified Wednesday in a court case of Kleinman vs. the Palestinian Authority: The suite was filed by the family of Esther Kleinman, who was killed in a shooting attack near Ramallah in 2002, and alleges the Barghouti was directly involved in the shooting, which took place while he was head of the Tanzim – Fatah's militant faction.
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Shortly after the attack, Barghouti – who still enjoys immense popularity among the Palestinian public – had the dubious honor of becoming the IDF's most wanted terrorist.
He was arrested in 2003 and in 2004 he was convicted of five counts of murder and several counts of conspiracy to commit murder and aiding and abetting terror activities. He was acquitted of 21 counts of murder, in 33 separate cases, and sentenced to five consecutive life terms and an additional 40 years (190 years).
Hamas initially demanded Barghouti's release as part of the prisoner exchange deal which secured Gilad Shalit's release, but Israel adamantly refused.
Barghouti spoke of the possibility that he would vie for a parliamentary seat in the next Palestinian elections: "The PA has yet to declare the elections. Once they do we'll see… We have to form a national unity government and pursue peaceful resistance."
He also welcomed the events of the Arab Spring, saying "the results of the revolutions in the Arab world are bound to be good for the Palestinian people. The Palestinians will enjoy better support for their peaceful resistance."
Barghouti refused to testify, reiterating that he does not recognize the authority of the Israeli court.
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