Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) called Friday for Israel to free Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for attacks that killed Israelis, as the midterm elections approach.
“I am calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison,” Khanna wrote on X.
In a video accompanying the post, Khanna said Palestinians should choose their own leaders and argued that Barghouti could help bring about a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel.
“Palestinians must choose their own leaders. Barghouti has a unique standing among all Palestinian factions,” Khanna said. “He’s seen as non-corrupt, a strong leader, and secular. Barghouti could deliver a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel.”
An Israeli court convicted Barghouti in 2004 on five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for attacks that killed a Greek Orthodox monk and four other people. The court sentenced him to five consecutive life terms plus additional prison time.
Khanna acknowledged the case against Barghouti but argued that Israel should free him anyway.
“Releasing Barghouti does not provide him with a pardon or moral absolution of crimes he may have committed,” Khanna said. “In fact, a number of human rights groups say he did not even receive a fair trial. But the release is needed to move peace forward, just like Arafat and Rabin worked for peace despite their pasts.”
Khanna then compared Barghouti’s release to allowing members of the Irish Republican Army to take part in politics.
“The Irish Republic Army, the IRA, did terrible things in its war against British and Protestant domination,” he said. “But when the IRA said they had a vision of equality and coexistence, letting them participate in politics was the right decision. Barghouti has said exactly that, repeatedly.”
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