Barghouti backers vow kidnappings to force his release
ASSAF BERGERFREUND
Ha'aretz, 20 May 2004
Responding angrily to yesterday's conviction of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti for the murder of five people, Gaza Strip militants vowed to kidnap Israeli soldiers to exchange them for the West Bank leader of the Fatah-related Tanzim.
On the other hand, Israeli government officials suggested Barghouti's conviction could pave the way for a legal prosecution of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. A Gaza leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed faction of Arafat's Fatah movement, said the group would make abducting soldiers its "top priority."
The Palestinian Authority released a statement yesterday denouncing Barghouti's conviction. "The Israeli court lacks legal footing, and the decision it issued in the Barghouti matter is just another step in the policy of escalation," said Arafat adviser Nabil Abu Rudeineh. The court verdict was "unfounded and baseless," he said.
Israel should "release Barghouti immediately, since he is an elected parliamentary official," said Abu Rudeineh. "What Israel's court did yesterday is an escalation of the dispute, and another step toward increased violence."
Justice Minister Yosef Lapid said Israel might now consider putting Arafat on trial following yesterday's conviction. "After the verdict we might have to consider putting Arafat on trial one of these days," Lapid said.
He said Israel has not until now brought Arafat to trial because it did not want to prosecute public figures.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Barghouti had been brought to justice. "The five people who were killed in these attacks that he ordered will not return to life," he said through a spokesman. "The widows and orphans will not get their loved ones back. But at least justice was done."
Hadash MK Mohammed Barakeh said after leaving the Tel Aviv courthouse that the trial was political. "Barghouti will be released, and those who imprisoned him will eventually have to conduct negotiations with him, because he is the leader of the Palestinian people," said Barakeh.
Holding an impromptu press conference outside the courthouse, MK Ahmed Tibi (Hadash) declared: "This is an illegitimate trial. The conquest cannot judge leaders of the Palestinian people." MK Barakeh said, adding "the [Israeli] conquerors are murderers." At this stage, two Israeli citizens tried to accost the two MKs, but their path was blocked by security guards.
Some 20 persons demonstrated outside the courthouse, holding pictures of people murdered in terror attacks, and chanting "Stop the Terrorists." One of these demonstrators yelled at Tibi, "you are a murderer; you should be put on trial; you aid and abet terror."
Tibi told journalists: "Barghouti should sit across from Israelis and conduct negotiations rather than being behind prison bars. There are war criminals who kill Palestinian civilians; and these are the ones who ought to be brought to trial."
Dr. Azmi Bishara, MK (Balad), said the trial verdict was an inevitable result of the "demonization" of Barghouti. He added: "In the end, [Israelis] will have to negotiate with people like Barghouti. Otherwise, who will be left as negotiation partners? Barghouti doesn't deny that he played a leadership role in the intifada, but in the eyes of the Palestinian people that is an heroic endeavor."
Barghouti defiant after guilty verdict
In response to the court's verdict, which found him guilty of murder, Marwan Barghouti defiantly declared: "I do not recognize the authority of the Israeli court to try me as a Palestinian member of parliament."
He added: "I knew ahead of time that the honorable judges would not be able to try me according to their will, but were under instructions from the security services, and the day will come when they will be ashamed."
"I am a Palestinian leader and I am against the occupation and in favor of a peace process, but so long as there is no Palestinian state there will be no peace," he continued. "I call on the Israeli people not to believe that it is possible to vanquish the Palestinian people with force. We are the weak side, but justice is on our side."
Barghouti completed his statement by saying that "my great day of liberation will be the Palestinian people's day of liberation."