The World Must Demand the Release of Palestinian Leader Marwan Barghouti
By Medea Benjamin
For more than two decades, Marwan Barghouti has sat behind Israeli bars—a living emblem of a brutal occupation that has denied Palestinians their freedom and dignity.
His continued imprisonment is not merely unjust; it silences the one leader most capable of uniting the Palestinian people and leading them toward a political solution.
Polls over many years show he is the most popular Palestinian political figure, trusted across factions and generations—even by many who have lost faith in politics.
Releasing him is not a concession. It is a prerequisite for peace.
When the Second Intifada (uprising) began in 2000, Barghouti was a prominent member of Fatah, the Palestinian political faction that dominates the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs limited parts of the occupied West Bank.
He was also an elected parliamentarian.
Author's summary: Free Marwan Barghouti for peace.