Mahmoud Abbas on Marwan Barghouti
TL;DR
Mahmoud Abbas actively seeks to keep political rival Marwan Barghouti imprisoned to neutralize his significant popular threat.
Key Points
The president reportedly instructed officials to exclude Barghouti from any potential prisoner exchange deal amid negotiations.
Senior PA officials believe Barghouti's release would threaten the leadership of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas allegedly sought to politically neutralize Barghouti by limiting delegate participation in the Eighth Fatah Conference around March 2022.
Summary
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority chairman, appears determined to prevent the release of Marwan Barghouti, who is serving multiple life sentences in Israeli custody. Senior Palestinian Authority officials allegedly conveyed instructions to mediators during ceasefire negotiations to specifically exclude Barghouti from any potential prisoner exchange deals. This action is reportedly driven by the leadership’s belief that Barghouti's freedom would directly threaten the incumbent President Abbas’s leadership position, given Barghouti's consistent popularity in opinion polls. The president and his associates have also allegedly taken internal Fatah steps, such as setting criteria to exclude representatives of security prisoners from party conferences, aimed at politically undermining Barghouti’s influence within the movement.
The implication of Abbas's maneuvers is a strategic effort to consolidate power by neutralizing the most popular potential challenger ahead of any future elections. While Barghouti is often cited internationally as a unifying figure and a potential successor in the vein of Nelson Mandela, the PA leadership fears his return to the political scene. Evidence suggests that Abbas torpedoed Barghouti's potential release during a previous exchange deal and is currently working to maintain his incarceration, fearing the firebrand leader's ability to rally broad support across fractured Palestinian factions.
Key Quotes
"...has always been at the top of President Abbas's agenda and that of the Fatah movement"
Frequently Asked Questions
Mahmoud Abbas, through official PA channels and statements, has indicated that securing the release of Marwan Barghouti is a top priority for the Fatah movement. However, concurrent reports suggest internal efforts by the presidency to ensure he remains imprisoned due to political rivalry.
The primary reason cited is political survival; the president and his close circle reportedly fear that Barghouti's popular support would directly threaten Abbas's hold on power. Barghouti consistently polls as the preferred leader among Palestinians.
Fatah sources claim that the president previously torpedoed Barghouti's release during the 2011 Shalit prisoner exchange deal. His current actions suggest a continuation of efforts to prevent his freedom as a political rival.
Sources6
Why does Mahmoud Abbas want Marwan Barghouti to stay behind bars?
Abbas: Terrorist kingpin Marwan Barghouti's release a top priority
The Elders call for Marwan Barghouti's release to spur moves to two-state solution (Non-UN Document)
Mahmoud Abbas Seeks to Neutralize Firebrand Marwan Barghouti Sitting in Prison
Palestinian groups express 'grave concerns' over Marwan Barghouti's safety
The fall and rise of Marwan Barghouti
* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.