Barghouti's wife: 'Recordings of Marwan breaking the strike are fake'
'Fabricated,' 'despicable,' and a 'low point' for Israel were the terms employed by Fadwa Barghouti—the wife of Marwan Barghouti—to describe recordings released by the Israel Prison Service allegedly showing her husband breaking his hunger strike in secret; says act is a sign of the beginning of Israel's downfall.
Fadwa Barghouti, the wife of Marwan Barghouti, claimed on Sunday that the recordings of her husband secretly breaking his hunger strike, filmed and released by the Israel Prison Service (IPS), are fabricated and fake.
Marwan Barghouti was recorded on security cameras in his cell secretly breaking his hunger strike by eating, among other things, cookies and salted snacks.
Speaking at a press conference in Ramallah, Barghouti denounced the publication of the video as a "low" act by Israel that teaches about "the defeat of the occupation" in dealing with the hunger strike and was proof of the "weakness" that Israel is demonstrating against the prisoners' determination.
"The prisoners are familiar with Israel's lies and games and the video they released signals the beginning of its fall," said Fadwa, adding that the Palestinian people are likely to pick up on these "despicable" methods after 70 years of oppression.
She summarized by saying that this video will only strengthen the prisoners' resolve to continue the strike.
The footage of Marwan breaking the strike was presented by Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Minister of Information Gilad Erdan during a press conference.
Erdan claimed that the prisoners’ conditions, over which they allegedly launched their hunger strike, were not the real reasons behind it.
"The Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike has nothing to do with their prison conditions, and everything to do with the political interest of Marwan Barghouti," said Erdan during the press conference on Sunday, as the strike reached its 21st day. "Barghouti is a murderer and hypocrite who urged his fellow prisoners to strike and suffer while he ate behind their back."
It is not the first time Barghouti has been caught red-handed sneaking a snack in the midst of a hunger strike. In 2004, Barghouti was filmed secretly breaking his strike, which was also launched by security prisoners.
(Translated & edited by Lior Mor)
