Israel’s Far-Right Security Minister Has Filmed Himself Threatened This Prominent Palestinian Leader In Jail
66-year-old Barghouti, sometimes called the "Palestinian Mandela", is the most prominent Palestinian political prisoner held by Israel.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has come under fire after sharing a video of himself taunting prominent jailed Palestinian politician, Marwan Barghouti, in his prison cell.
66-year-old Barghouti, sometimes called the "Palestinian Mandela", is the most prominent Palestinian political prisoner held by Israel.
After joining the Palestinian party of Fatah when he was 15 and later becoming the party's secretary-general, Barghouti rose to prominence during the First and Second Intifadas (uprisings) in 1987 and 2000 as a spokesperson for Palestinian rights, advocating for a two-state solution.
In 2002, at the height of the Second Intifada, Israel arrested and jailed him for allegedly directing attacks that killed five Israelis, which Barghouti has denied.
Barghouti was sentenced to five life sentences and another 40 years.
Despite being in prison, Barghouti has remained one of the most popular Palestinian leaders, often topping opinion polls as a preferred candidate for president.
He has continued his political work from prison, including authoring the 2006 Prisoners’ Document and leading hunger strikes for prisoners’ rights.
On Thursday, Aug. 14, Ben-Gvir shared a 13-second video on his social media account showing him threatening Barghouti in his prison cell.
“You will not win. Whoever messes with the people of Israel, whoever murders our children and women, we will wipe them out," Ben-Gvir said.
The video is the first time that Barghouti has been seen, with his frail appearance raising concerns about his health and treatment in prison.
His family and rights groups say that he has been held in solitary confinement since Israel began its genocide in Gaza.
Palestinian officials and Barghouti's family have condemned Ben-Gvir's visit as “organized state terrorism,” and a violation of international law.
The United Nations also called the video "disturbing" and said countries have an obligation to treat prisoners with dignity under international law.
The Palestinian Authority has said it is raising Ben-Gvir's actions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which acts as a guardian of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), also known as the laws of war.
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