Minister of Minority Affairs (Labor) Prof. Avishai Braverman is calling to seriously consider the release of convicted terrorist Marwan Barghouti to permit the ‘moderate’ faction of Fatah to rule.

Barghouti was convicted for his part in murderous terror attacks and is now serving five life sentences for his actions. He is the head of the Fatah Tanzim faction, a murderous bunch responsible for many terror attacks.

Nevertheless, following the election of younger members of the Fatah Council to lead the party, Braverman feels that Barghouti represents a moderate faction and therefore, he should be released from prison to permit him to stand at the helm of the PA (Palestinian Authority).

Current Fatah leader Abu Mazen is also deemed a ‘moderate’ by Israel, perhaps due to his suit and tie exterior. Abu Mazen is a documented Holocaust denier, and he constantly repeats he will never recognize Israel’s right to exist, and remains unwilling to abandon demands for the so-called Palestinian right of return and remains committed to taking over Jerusalem to serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.

There appears to be widespread support for Barghouti’s release among lawmakers in the Arab parties along with the Meretz and Kadima parties. Kadima MK Gideon Ezra, a former senior Shin Bet officer, insists Israel must relinquish its hard-line policy and take this step towards meeting the aspirations of the PA.

MK (Ichud HaLeumi) Prof. Aryeh Eldad on the other hand sees the situation from a different perspective, explaining “only the deaf and blind” can deny the realities of last week’s Fatah Assembly in Bet Lechem, an assembly that refused to recognize Israel and remains committed to the destruction of the State of Israel. In addition he added, the assembly elected a murderous convicted terrorist as its new leader, Marwan Barghouti, making its direction and intentions quite clear.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)