James Bennet has written another great piece about Israeli-Palestinian relations, this one focussed on Marwan Barghouti: Jailed in Israel, Palestinian Symbol Eyes Top Post.
Fadwa Barghouti, wife of jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, stands in front of a portrait her shackled husband, at the “Campaign to free Marwan Barghouti” office in Ramallah (credit: James Hill/NYT)
In this time of deep uncertainty in the Palestinian political leadership, eyes are turning not just to Mahmoud Abbas, the concensus candidate–but to those of the next generation who will lead Palestine once the Old Lions (or is it “Jackals”?) die. And that points you to people like Mohammed Dahlan and especially Marwan Barghouti.
Marwan Barghouti resists Israeli justice (credit: AP/Eitan Hess-Ashkenazi)
Bennet posits an interesting, if convoluted conspiracy theory about Barghouti’s current status in an Israeli jail:
Some Palestinians believe that Israel chose to arrest Mr. Barghouti in April 2002 and then give him a very public trial in order to burnish his credentials as a leader among Palestinians while preventing him from further tarnishing his credentials among Israelis.
In the labyrinthine annals of Israeli-Palestinian relations other more extreme theories have been borne out as true. It’s just byzantine enough to be true. So I see no grounds for dismissing it. I guess time will tell.
He should be freed after America frees Scott Peterson, killer of his pregnant wife….sure: conspiracy on the part of Israel…everywhere, conspiracies! smell the coffee for a change.