Defiant warden serves beef to high-level prisoner despite orders

Barghouti, who was arrested by Israel in 2002, was convicted for the deaths of four Israelis and a Greek monk.

By JNS

Marwan Barghouti, a senior Palestinian political prisoner convicted on five counts of murder in 2004 by an Israeli court, was given a rich meal of meat and cholent, a kind of stew, on Saturday, contrary to new rules laid down by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Barghouti ate the same meals as his neighboring Jewish prisoners despite Ben-Gvir’s orders that terrorists only be given vegetarian dishes.

Disciplinary hearings have been initiated against the warden responsible, who is expected to be “severely punished,” Israel Hayom reported.

Acting Israel Prison Service Chief Commissioner Kobi Yaakovi has implemented a zero-tolerance policy toward disciplinary offenses and breaches of procedure, the paper added.

Barghouti is widely believed to have directed the first and second intifadas, that killed and wounded thousands of Israeli civilians.

On Feb. 14, Barghouti was transferred from Ofer prison, near Ramallah, to Ayalon prison in Ramla, and the Israel Prison Service learned that he intended to agitate from his prison to ignite a third Intifada.

Barghouti, who was arrested by Israel in 2002, was convicted for the deaths of four Israelis and a Greek monk, as well as for attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and membership in a terrorist organization.

The court said that there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him on 21 other murder charges in the original indictment.

In January, while still in Ofer prison, Barghouti had filed a complaint in Israel’s courts through his lawyer about maltreatment. He protested that guards had handcuffed his legs and feet and forced him to walk, which hurt him.

He also complained about the food, which consisted of three small slices of bread, yogurt, two spoons of beans and three spoons of rice.