National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday dismissed reports that Palestinian terrorist leader Marwan Barghouti was abused during a prison transfer, asserting that while the claims were fabricated, he was “proud Barghouti’s conditions have drastically worsened.”
Earlier in the day, the Qatari news outlet Al-Araby TV cited a Palestinian source alleging that Barghouti was “beaten and assaulted” while being moved from Ramon Prison in southern Israel to Megiddo Prison, located north of Jenin.
The same report claimed that Barghouti suffered four broken ribs and briefly lost consciousness as a result of the alleged beating.
Raed Abu al-Hummus, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, issued a statement accusing Israel of carrying out “a real, systematic, and planned execution attempt” against Barghouti. He said Barghouti was “in real danger,” adding, “his blood flowed, his ribs were broken, and he was tortured until he lost consciousness…The necessary medical intervention was not performed, and he was not taken to the hospital. They merely gave him an Acamol pill.”
Responding to these accusations, Ben-Gvir said that “arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti’s claims are false,” yet proudly declared that “we are proud that Barghouti’s conditions have drastically worsened in my tenure.”
The minister continued, “The games are over. The murderer Barghouti now knows terrorists like him will be treated harshly, which is why he invents fake news to energize his despicable terrorist friends who left him behind.”
Barghouti, who hails from the West Bank, was a senior Fatah figure and a central organizer of the Second Intifada. He was captured by Israeli forces in April 2002 during Operation Defensive Shield in Ramallah and later convicted in a civilian court on five counts of murder and several additional charges. He is serving five consecutive life sentences plus additional years.
During a large-scale hunger strike he led between April and May 2017, the Israel Prison Service released footage purportedly showing Barghouti eating secretly in his cell, a video his supporters dismissed as fake.
Barghouti continues to enjoy widespread popularity among Palestinians and has often been cited by Hamas as a top priority for release in negotiations. He appeared on a list of high-profile prisoners Hamas demanded Israel free as part of the ceasefire deal mediated by US President Donald Trump.
However, Israeli officials have made clear that Barghouti’s release is not under consideration. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters last week, “I can tell you at this point in time that he will not be part of this release.”
{Matzav.com}
Actors on a stage, doing naughty things to one murderer does not excuse Ben Gavir of supporting a government that releases 250 others.
Don’t fall for the shtick.