Over 200 “cultural figures” have called for the release from Israeli prison of palestinian Arab terrorist Marwan Barghouti.
“We express our grave concern at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and denial of legal rights whilst imprisoned. We call upon the United Nations and the Governments of the World to actively seek the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison.”
The names on the list contain some of the usual Israel-hating suspects, including: Susan Sarandon, Miriam Margolyes, Mark Ruffalo, Brian Eno, Tilda Swinton, and Annie Lennox.
But there are also some inclusions that did surprise me. Inclusions such as Sting (who performed in Israel in 2006, defying boycott calls); Sir Ian McKellen (who narrated the Zionist documentary series Pillar of Fire); Stephen Fry (who had signed on to the #NoHostageLeftBehind campaign); and Paul Simon.
This surprise is amplified by what they are asking for here: the release of Marwan Barghouti.
Here’s what you need to know about Marwan Barghouti: he was convicted by an Israeli court of 5 counts of murder and one of attempted murder for organizing, authorizing, and directing attacks.
Convicted of 5 counts of murder.
And he isn’t some innocent victim of injustice. On entering the court before being found guilty, Barghouti flashed a victory sign with his shackled hands, and declared:
“So long as occupation continues, the intifada will not stop. As long as Palestinian mothers are weeping, Israeli mothers will also weep.”
Hardly the actions and words of an innocent or remorseful man.
And now a bit about the victims of attacks he was found to have orchestrated.
Father Georgios Tsibouktzakis (34)
On 12 June 2001, Greek Orthodox monk-priest Father Georgios Tsibouktzakis was returning to his monastery – having passed the Israeli Border Police roadblock outside Jerusalem – when terrorists opened fire on his car, which beared yellow Israeli plates. He was fatally wounded and was announced dead at the scene.
Father Georgios Tsibouktzakis was well known as a lover of peace and someone always glad to help others. He had previously used his jeep to help retrieve the body of a tourist killed after falling into a wadi. He also helped the police when two Israeli youths were murdered by terrorists three years earlier.
Yoela Chen (45)
A secretary in Wolfson Hospital in Holon, Yoela Chen was killed and her 70-year-old aunt moderately injured in a shooting attack on Jan 15, 2002. On their way to a family wedding in Jerusalem, the two women stopped at a gas station when gunmen approached their vehicle and opened fire at short range. One of Yoela’s brothers was driving behind her and witnessed the shooting.
Yoela was survived by her husband and two young children.
Eli Dahan (53)
On May 5, 2002, Eli Dahan was stabbed to death by a terrorist, who had opened fire with a long-barreled M-16 assault rifle at two restaurants in Tel Aviv. The co-owner of local popular cafe in Lod frequented by both Jews and Arabs, Eli was known as a kind and compassionate person. His Bedouin business partner said he “was the last person you would think that would die in a terror attack. He was the symbol for coexistence. He had many friends, Jews and Arabs. In his eyes everyone was equal.”
Eli was survived by his mother, wife, two daughters, two sons, and three grandchildren.
Yosef Habi (52)
Yosef Habi was murdered in the same terror attack as Eli Dahan. Yosef and his wife had just left a restaurant when the terrorist arrived, firing at his wife, injuring her. Yosef came to her help, shouting: “Don’t shoot.” After the terrorist fired at Yosef’s legs, Yosef struggled with the terrorist, and was fatally stabbed in the chest.
Known as a brilliant and modest businessman, Yosef was a philanthropist who helped everyone who would ask. He helped people get jobs, and donated money to synagogues and seminaries.
Yosef Habi was survived by wife, son, and daughter.
Salim Barakat (33)
The third victim of the Tel Aviv shooting attack, Druze policeman 1st Sgt.-Maj. Salim Barakat was on a routine stakeout for car thieves when he spotted the terrorist who he shot. As he leaned over the body to check for explosives, the terrorist fatally stabbed him.
At his funeral, Police Commissioner Shlomo Aharonishky said: “Salim Barakat of Kfar Yarka was a hero, who devoted his entire life to fighting for Israel, and with Israel. He was brave, determined and motivated. He did not hesitate for a moment, but immediately charged the terrorist.”
Salim Barakat was survived by his wife and 4-year-old daughter.
In addition to the above attacks for which he was found guilty of having orchestrated, Marwan Barghouti was thought to have been involved in another 33 attacks in which 21 additional people were murdered. I won’t include the victims here due to the lack of hard evidence implicating him personally. But it is important to note they were carried out by Al-Aqsa/Tanzim around that time, and have been linked to the broader campaign for which Barghouti was indicted. You can learn more about the victims of those attacks here.
So this is the man these “cultural figures” want released. A man whose “struggle” translated into the shattered lives of families who will never see their loved ones again. A man who still boasts of an intifada “that will not stop.”
If Sarandon, Ruffalo, Swinton, Sting, McKellen, Fry, Simon and the rest want to tie their names to that, they can own it. But let them look these victims and their families in the eye and try to explain why a confessed and convicted orchestrator of murder deserves to walk free.
Because behind every fashionable political statement is someone’s empty chair at Shabbat dinner. Someone’s uncelebrated birthday. Someone’s children growing up without a parent.
Marwan Barghouti made sure of that.
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