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Fatah strongman Marwan Barghouti at his trial for terrorist activities. (Archives)
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Last update - 13:59 25/09/2007
Ben-Eliezer: Israel should free Barghouti, he is next PA leader
By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent

Imprisoned Fatah boss Marwan Barghouti will become the Palestinians' next leader, Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer recently told Haaretz.

In a holiday interview with Haaretz - which will appear Tuesday - Ben-Eliezer said that he believed that "there is no reason to become alarmed" by the possibility that Barghouti will be released from the Israeli prison system, where he is serving five consecutive life sentences for terrorist activities.

"I would consider releasing him. I think it's a legitimate move, though I believe that his actions were sinister, and I don't take them lightly at all," Ben-Eliezer said.

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Barghouti has been in prison since April 2002, when he was convicted for a succession of terrorist activities against Israeli civilians in his capacity as the West Bank head of the Fatah-affiliated Tanzim militia. Ben-Eliezer says over the past months he had realized Barghouti is probably the best partner Israel has with whom it can hope to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations with the Palestinians.

According to Ben-Eliezer, Barghouti enjoys considerable sway over the situation in Palestinian Authority from within the Hadarim prison facility.

The minister says Barghouti's pull extends to the preparations for the U.S.-sponsored regional peace summit Washington intends to hold in November.

"We have to find a suitable opportunity to release Barghouti, and we have to link it to the release of Gilad Shalit," the minister said. Ben-Eliezer was referring to the Israel Defense Forces soldier Hamas had abducted more than a year ago from the southern Gaza Strip.

"I know this hard to cope with. But we have to look 10 years down the line, and ask ourselves where we want to go," the minister, who has known Barghouti for many years, said.
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  1.   Best chance = no chance at all 05:20  |  Gili 25/09/07
  2.   Use your head for something more than an echo chamber 05:55  |  Natallie Durson 25/09/07
  3.   Barghouti=MURDERER 06:42  |  THE LIBRARIAN 25/09/07
  4.   Release him 07:13  |  Mahona 25/09/07
  5.   this is a 5 time murderer.to free him after 5 years in prison is 07:18  |  Vogel 25/09/07
  6.   Israelies - Getting Dumber 07:57  |  Tod Zuckerman 25/09/07
  7.   Re Natallie #3 08:20  |  Esther 25/09/07
  8.   Re Gili #2 08:24  |  Esther 25/09/07
  9.   Barghouti 08:30  |  Ron 25/09/07
  10.   The talk of as loser -Ben eliezer is overmedicated 08:44  |  Sal 25/09/07
  11.   Ben-Eliezer Is A Symbol of Moral Perversion 08:50  |  Ben Israel 25/09/07
  12.   think b4 u talk 09:07  |  bull 25/09/07
  13.   #Librarian & former terrorirsts 09:23  |  Ronda Phone 25/09/07
  14.   Grasping at straws 09:32  |  Slibovitz 25/09/07
  15.   Wasn`t it oaf Ben-Eliezer who realeased Yassin? 09:40  |  Absolute Sweden 25/09/07
  16.   very bad joke: release convicted killer to appease terrorist org. 09:46  |  Pavel 25/09/07
  17.   WISEST COURSE TO PEACE, INDEED 10:12  |  Mohamed Malleck 25/09/07
  18.   Freedom fighter 10:15  |  Andrew Watson 25/09/07
  19.   Gili 10:21  |  Walid 25/09/07
  20.   this weeks deliberate error fantasy returns to haaretz 10:56  |  victor hardman 25/09/07
  21.   Bargouti 11:20  |  Barney Panofsky 25/09/07
  22.   Mr. Mallek`s comments 11:33  |  Barney Panofsky 25/09/07
  23.   Mr. Mallek`s comments 11:33  |  Barney Panofsky 25/09/07
  24.   ben-eliezer silence would have been better 11:38  |  disraeli 25/09/07
  25.   i ask readers to look at polls on muslims in the uk 11:41  |  disraeli 25/09/07
  26.   4Mohammed Malleck,doubt very much that Barghouti will be released 11:52  |  lakshmi 25/09/07
  27.   ben-elezer and barghouti 12:02  |  disraeli 25/09/07
  28.   WHY DO KNESSET MEMBERS LOVE TERRORISTS THAT KILL JEWS? 12:19  |  John a gentile 25/09/07
  29.   The end of Abbas 12:24  |  Cynical 25/09/07
  30.   Intelligent Palestinian leaders terrify Israel 12:34  |  Tim 25/09/07
  31.   Clear analogy 12:45  |  Jan Elshout 25/09/07
  32.   They should release all of the Palestinian terrorists 12:51  |  Lurker 25/09/07
  33.   "Peace" Extremists 13:00  |  Michael 25/09/07
  34.   Natalie the ever present Islamic Jihadist representative 13:10  |  Petra 25/09/07
  35.   Intelligent Pals? Oxymoron 13:13  |  Petra 25/09/07
  36.   Barghouti is NOT a factor 13:15  |  Brod 25/09/07
  37.   Barghouti 13:21  |  Kevan 25/09/07
  38.   For that comment 13:25  |  Avi 25/09/07
  39.   10Lurker,maybe the 11,000 plus `terrorists` should not all have 13:26  |  lakshmi 25/09/07
  40.   How many Israeli Barghoutis are roaming free in Israel 13:28  |  Ivar 25/09/07
  41.   Tim you are clueless 13:29  |  Avi 25/09/07
  42.   hamas will never release shalit for barghouti 13:34  |  Igor D. 25/09/07
  43.   best chance...!!!! 13:41  |  ravi 25/09/07
  44.   Lakshmi 13:48  |  Walid 25/09/07
  45.   LAKSHMI AND TORTURE 13:53  |  Brant 25/09/07
  46.   JAN EISHOUT: WRONG!!!!!! 13:56  |  Brant 25/09/07
  47.   BEN-ELIEZER ONE OF THE IDIOTS 13:58  |  M 25/09/07
  48.   barghouti 14:02  |  iletzter 25/09/07
  49.   MORE CLUTCHING AT STRAWS 14:07  |  Ian 25/09/07
  50.   criminal minds think alike 14:08  |  henry 25/09/07
  51.   #2 You can`t negotiate with some people 14:12  |  Gili 25/09/07
  52.   and Ben Elierzer was once a Def. Minister, go figure 14:14  |  moish 25/09/07
  53.   Natallie #2, yes, we shall talk to the enemy but 14:14  |  Scientist 25/09/07
  54.   How disappointing you are General Ben-eliezer 14:16  |  D 25/09/07
  55.   the big agent is ready 14:20  |  kad 25/09/07
  56.   Israel should free Amir, he is next Israeli leader 14:28  |  Samson 25/09/07
  57.   To all posters 14:34  |  Don Camillo 25/09/07
  58.   ravi "why is barghouti in jail" 14:39  |  sonia gandhi 25/09/07
  59.   #2 Hamas Is Irrelevant 14:40  |  Bill Foonman 25/09/07
  60.   Petra, #11, unreal 14:42  |  Pete 25/09/07
  61.   Absurd 15:02  |  Ron 25/09/07
  62.   Ben Elizer drinking again? 15:04  |  r 25/09/07
  63.   #41the don and bringing the extremists into line 15:07  |  victor hardman 25/09/07
  64.   ideas, ideas, ideas 15:07  |  ecr 25/09/07
  65.   Natallie Durson # 2 Hamas 15:12  |  Jeff Northridge 25/09/07
  66.   Natallie Durson #2 15:54  |  Malcolm 25/09/07
  67.   Ben-Eliezer 15:58  |  Roland 25/09/07
  68.   @ 2 Durson 16:04  |  Ralph 25/09/07
  69.   lakshmi "HISTORICAL COMPROMISE" 16:04  |  ravi-lakshmi 25/09/07
  70.   Better free Barghouti NOW 16:08  |  Tosefta 25/09/07
  71.   Don Camillo # 46 Find Somebody Else 16:28  |  Jeff Northridge 25/09/07
  72.   BARGHOUTI IS A FREEDOM FIGHTER 16:46  |  Pipin 25/09/07
  73.   Suspicious 16:48  |  Fed Up 25/09/07
  74.   #71 Jeff Northridge 17:24  |  Labhras 25/09/07
  75.   how about this... 17:26  |  Igor D. 25/09/07
  76.   #73 you will have to dig them up to find out ? 17:27  |  victor hardman 25/09/07
  77.   "One man`s terrorist is another man`s freedom fighter" 17:32  |  Democracy 25/09/07
  78.   Bargouti is just like JOMO KENYATTA 17:39  |  Abdul Hak 25/09/07
  79.   Do not be silly Mr. Ben-Elezer 17:41  |  Mark Lincoln 25/09/07
  80.   Ben-Eliezer calls for Barghouti pardon 17:48  |  Steve 25/09/07
  81.   Next President 18:00  |  Jim 25/09/07
  82.   Response to lakshmi (#39) 18:03