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Free Barghouti
By Haaretz Editorial

One of the leaders of the Palestinian people has been incarcerated for approximately five years now in Hadarim Prison, in central Israel. The time has come to release him. For years, Marwan Barghouti has tried to persuade Israelis to end the occupation through negotiation. He has gone from one Israeli party headquarters to the next, meeting with politicians across the political spectrum. He tried to persuade them in order to preempt the next confrontation.

Barghouti failed, the second intifada broke out, and he himself turned to the path of violent struggle. After going underground for months, during which he still tried to address the Israeli public through its own media, Barghouti was arrested in April 2002 and prosecuted. He was sentenced for five life terms in prison, plus 40 years.

It is doubtful whether arresting and prosecuting him was diplomatically wise, but there is no doubting the political wisdom of releasing him.
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During his years in prison, Barghouti has acted to restrain the armed struggle and bolster his people's moderate leadership, using envoys to achieve this goal. Barghouti never left his native West Bank, never took to the habits of power characteristic of the Palestine Liberation Organization leadership in Tunisia. He became a popular leader - especially in the West Bank, and to a lesser degree in the Gaza Strip.

Modern history - including Israel's - has known national leaders who turned to violence and were jailed for years, until they were released to become political leaders who marched their peoples toward independence peacefully. Nelson Mandela is one such example. The leaders of the Zionist undergrounds in prestate Israel are another. Now, Barghouti's turn has come. Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra deserves praise for speaking in favor of releasing Barghouti. Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer did not rule out the possibility either.

Fatah's moderate leadership is in a serious crisis. Israel's interest calls for its consolidation, albeit after outrageous delays, and no one matches Barghouti's ability to achieve that. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's promises in Washington that Israel would be willing to take "far-reaching" measures to assist the Palestinian Authority's emergency government must be backed by immediate action. Releasing prisoners is the first step one should demand of anyone who promises such steps.

The Israeli government should have long since helped Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to govern his people. Among other measures, it should have done this by allowing him to bring home real achievements. Releasing prisoners, Barghouti among them, could serve to change the atmosphere between Israel and the Palestinians in a heartbeat. It would prove the sincerity of Israel's statements regarding its intention to turn over a new leaf and bolster the moderate forces. The issue of prisoners who have been jailed for years holds extreme importance for Palestinian society. Any Palestinian leader who would succeed in bringing about their release will receive instant and widespread public sympathy.

The prime minister's statements must not remain empty words - especially not now, when a practical opportunity for dialogue with a moderate Palestinian leadership has presented itself. Now that Gaza has fallen into Hamas' hands, no effort should be spared in the attempt to salvage the West Bank from extremists. Barghouti as a free leader could greatly assist in achieving that.
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  1.   Free Barghouti - the Murderer 10:17  |  Yitzhak 21/06/07
  2.   Barghouti and Amira Hass 10:23  |  Michelle Q. 21/06/07
  3.   "palestinian people" dont exist: Barghouti is just a criminal 10:32  |  Arel 21/06/07
  4.   Send Bargouti to Sderot - Let the Amcha deal with him! 10:40  |  Not a Tsfoni 21/06/07
  5.   MANDELA WAS NOT A TERRORIST SERIAL MURDERER ?? 10:49  |  Bill. 21/06/07
  6.   Barghouti 10:53  |  Gabe 21/06/07
  7.   LEFTIST SECULAR HUMANISTIC MADNESS TO RELEASE MURDERER BARGHOUTI 10:57  |  Bill. 21/06/07
  8.   Reply to Yitzhak (Post No. 1) 10:58  |  Johnny Weintraub 21/06/07
  9.   THE TIME HAS COME TO REMOVE MURDERING TERRORIST ISLAM FROM ISRAEL 11:00  |  Bill. 21/06/07
  10.   Barghouti 11:03  |  Baruch Nili 21/06/07
  11.   if the best solution to deal with terrorist is to release other.. 11:05  |  don 21/06/07
  12.   Pollard first 11:11  |  Lila 21/06/07
  13.   Let the liitle man go 11:25  |  Big Al 21/06/07
  14.   the wrong barghouti 11:37  |  raymond deane 21/06/07
  15.   Haaretz 11:40  |  j10 21/06/07
  16.   # 1 to yitzhak 11:54  |  eric 21/06/07
  17.   Terrorist 11:57  |  Joseba 21/06/07
  18.   #16 ERIC NAMES THE KILLERS FROM THE PAST ?? 12:05  |  paul harris 21/06/07
  19.   Keep Barghouti 12:06  |  Natallie Durson 21/06/07
  20.   Does Haaretz also want to free Yigal Amir 12:09  |  David Stoler 21/06/07
  21.   A FLEXIBILITY OF THE WORD OF "TERRORIST" 12:19  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
  22.   Its time to execute Barghouti ,with most of the prisoners 12:19  |  Sal 21/06/07
  23.   Shamir and Begin were also terrorists 12:28  |  Danny 21/06/07
  24.   The Israel Factor 12:32  |  Sidney Gendin 21/06/07
  25.   Release Barghouti - for self interest 12:32  |  SD 21/06/07
  26.   It`s time to release Gilad Shalit 12:34  |  christoph 21/06/07
  27.   BARGHOUTI IS NO NELSON MANDELA 12:37  |  John Atkinson 21/06/07
  28.   April fools day!!!!!! wait a moment... 12:39  |  izzy d 21/06/07
  29.   #19, Durson 12:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/06/07
  30.   # 25, SD 12:58  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
  31.   Barghouti, Begin, Shamir 13:04  |  Nahman Umani 21/06/07
  32.   Is this article a bad joke? 13:07  |  Johnny 21/06/07
  33.   correction 13:31  |  christoph 21/06/07
  34.   If it was Amos Schocken&Co he targetted he`d be in jail forever 13:33  |  Absolute Sweden 21/06/07
  35.   Free Marwan Barghouti! 13:37  |  Ben Alofs 21/06/07
  36.   Free Barghouti 13:41  |  Dan R 21/06/07
  37.   Because editorials like this from Haaretz... 13:59  |  GF 21/06/07
  38.   Ha`aretz Working for The Israeli Right? 14:02  |  Yoram 21/06/07
  39.   FREE BARGHOUTI 14:19  |  JACOBSON 21/06/07
  40.   Fatah / Hamas in control ? 14:19  |  Jim Lindsey 21/06/07
  41.   PINNING HOPES ON AN INDIVIDUAL AGAIN 14:21  |  Ian 21/06/07
  42.   Barghouti is most useful serving his sentence to his end. 14:22  |  Uzi 21/06/07
  43.   releasing murderers 14:30  |  Paul C Pottash 21/06/07
  44.   Double standard 14:33  |  Mitch Cohen 21/06/07
  45.   # 41, IAN 14:34  |  indrajaya 21/06/07
  46.   #22 Time to execute terrorists? 14:38  |  Rebekah S 21/06/07
  47.   About time too. 14:38  |  Nick Ferriman 21/06/07
  48.   Barghouti is Honest 15:16  |  Zionest forever 21/06/07
  49.   Isn`t "there" anything better? 15:29  |  Carles 21/06/07
  50.   New poll:Barghouti would win 59-42% against Haniya 15:33  |  Alfonso Guiterrez 21/06/07
  51.   Even by Israeli Court standards he did not get 15:38  |  Don Camillo 21/06/07
  52.   FREEING BARGHOUTI 15:42  |  Mitchell 21/06/07
  53.   Zionest ??? forever 15:49  |  Avrum 21/06/07
  54.   THE TIME HAS COME TO FREE GILAD SHALIT .. 15:49  |  Miriam 21/06/07
  55.   he cant even rule 3 persons now ! AND HE WONT BE FREE 15:53  |  Atilla Liman 21/06/07
  56.   Free Barghouti now, in the middle of Gaza City 15:53  |  Mauro V Mendlowicz 21/06/07
  57.   Mitch Cohen and Nick Ferriman 15:56  |  Chaval 21/06/07
  58.   Repeat from earlier in the week. 15:56  |  Avrum 21/06/07
  59.   Barghouti sort of moderate 15:58  |  Paul Freedman 21/06/07
  60.   If it will bring peace-free him 15:59  |  Murray of Montreal 21/06/07
  61.   BERGHOUTI SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ILLEGALLY DETAINED 16:04  |  Patriot 21/06/07
  62.   Sheer Nonsense! 16:11  |  Dennis M Starkman 21/06/07
  63.   #45 indrajaya :o) 16:14  |  Murray of Montreal 21/06/07
  64.   Hamas and Abbas, same goal, the destruction of Israel 16:21  |  maurice 21/06/07
  65.   Haaretz needs a check up from the neck up. 16:21  |  Chaim 21/06/07
  66.   BARGHOUTI SHMARGOUTI 16:28  |  MG 21/06/07
  67.   Chaim ! Please ! I make the jokes here :( 16:39  |  A.L.K. 21/06/07
  68.   When he has completed his five life sentences for five murders 16:42  |  Briton 21/06/07
  69.   Read Pal poll article before reading your Editorial. 16:44  |  J.M.Jordan 21/06/07
  70.   Haaretz like most observers have missed one salient fact... 16:55  |  bat yam 21/06/07
  71.   Better free Barghouti NOW 17:01  |  Tosefta 21/06/07
  72.   Yes Leniency - Commute one of his life sentences 17:08  |  Chicago 21/06/07
  73.   61. No - he fought to destroy Israel 17:12  |  Chicago 21/06/07
  74.   The big bad wolf 17:13  |  Daniel 21/06/07
  75.   TO THE HAARETZ LEFT A MURDERER IS A MODERATE! 17:23  |  Ben Avraham 21/06/07
  76.   Vision 17:25  |  Baz Mann 21/06/07
  77.   Haaretz should be indicted by the AG for incitement against Jews 17:30  |  pace306 21/06/07
  78.   FOR HAARETZ 87 YEARS OF FAILURE WITH ARABS IS OF NO CONSEQUENCE!! 17:31  |  paul harris 21/06/07
  79.   A very wise suggestion, Editors of Haaretz! 17:35  |  Walt Schweitzer 21/06/07
  80.   Free Barghouti 17:38  |  Mostafa 21/06/07
  81.   Discussion could be irrelevant 17:44  |  Jackie 21/06/07
  82.   free Yigal Amir too 17:47  |  Hebert Kaine 21/06/07
  83.   The time to free Barghouti 17:48  |  Yakov 21/06/07
  84.   Never free Barghouti # 80 17:50  | </