TEL AVIV – On Friday, a much-discussed video emerged in which Israel’s far-right national security minister confronts a Palestinian leader directly within a prison, declaring that anyone opposing the state will be “wiped out.”
Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for his role in attacks during the early 2000s Palestinian uprising, or intifada, consistently tops polls as the most favored Palestinian leader. His appearances have been rare since his arrest over two decades ago.
The video’s timing is uncertain, but it shows National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, noted for his provocative interactions with Palestinians, asserting to Barghouti that he will “not win.”
“Anyone who murders children, who murders women, we will wipe them out,” Ben-Gvir said.
Ben-Gvir’s spokesman confirmed the visit and the video’s authenticity, but denied that the minister was threatening Barghouti.
Barghouti, now in his mid-60s, was a prominent figure in President Mahmoud Abbas’ secular Fatah movement during the intifada. Many Palestinians regard him as the natural heir to the aging and unpopular leader of the Palestinian Authority, which governs areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israel views him as a terrorist and indicates no willingness to release him. Hamas has called for his freedom in exchange for hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that led to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
In a Facebook post, Barghouti’s wife expressed difficulty recognizing her husband, who seemed frail in the video. Nevertheless, she affirmed that he remains connected to the Palestinian people.
“Perhaps a part of me does not want to acknowledge everything that your face and body shows, and what you and the prisoners have been through,” wrote Fadwa Al Barghouthi, who spells their last name differently in English.
Israeli officials say they have reduced the conditions under which Palestinians are held to the bare minimum allowed under Israeli and international law. Many detainees released as part of a ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year appeared gaunt and ill, and some were taken for immediate medical treatment.
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