If one were to ask Fatah Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti or his family regarding a prisoner release dealt to bring Gilad Shalit home, one would hear they are all confident that the convicted terrorist who is serving 5 life sentences is soon to be a free man.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak remain tight-lipped, not signaling if rumors of Barghouti’s inclusion in a release are founded in fact, Minister Silvan Shalom stated earlier in the week that this is not the case. Hamas officials quickly responded, stating this is simply not so, since without Barghouti, there is no deal.

Barghouti himself granted a number of media interviews from prison, stating confidently that “this time” he and a number of others are going home.

Setting his sights on the PA (Palestinian Authority) leadership, he did not hesitate to lash out against PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), calling his policies “a failure”, also stating the so-called Intifada was the result of the PA population feeling despair, feeling there was no other alternative, adding today however, the situation has changed, stating confidently, there will not be a third intifada.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)