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Wife of arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti lobbies global support for release of her husband in bid to head Palestinian Authority

Fadwa Barghouti met with a range of high-ranking Arab and European leaders for the campaign, which would result in dethroning Mahmoud Abbas. 

By World Israel News Staff

The wife of senior Fatah figure and imprisoned arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti is actively rallying global support to free her husband from an Israeli jail in a bid to pave the way for him to succeed Mahmoud Abbas as president of the Palestinian Authority, the Haaretz daily reported on Tuesday.

Fadwa Barghouti has met several times with a range high-ranking international and Arab leaders, the report said, citing Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman a-Sfadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abu al-Gheit, and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov among them.

Marwan Barghouti, who is currently serving multiple life sentences for his involvement in murders and terror attacks against Israelis during the Second Intifada, has frequently been a dominant figure in discussions surrounding the leadership transition after Abbas and is seen as a current favorite, especially by the younger generation of Palestinians.

In 2021, Fadwa Barghouti met with Hamas terror chief Ismail Haniyeh to after he promised her that her husband would be at the top of the list of prisoners in any future prisoner exchange deal.

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Speculation has been rife for years about who will take over the reins from the 87-year-old Abbas, sparking significant international interest. Any successor is expected to be a Fatah insider but would need support from other Arab nations in the region.

There’s a prevailing belief within Fatah that elections within the Palestinian Authority, if they occur, could be a catalyst for international pressure on Israel to release Barghouti. However, with Abbas holding the PA’s top spot and the continuing divide between Fatah and Hamas, the chances of elections in the near term are slim.

The uncertainty around Abbas’s succession has led to growing concerns of possible upheaval in Judea and Samaria post-Abbas, with fears that armed militias could begin to shape public policy, the report said. Since the last election in 2006, no further elections have taken place in the Palestinian Authority.

Last week saw reconciliation talks collapse once again between Fatah and its rival, Hamas. Abbas met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Turkey to explore “national unity” governance and put an end to the longstanding dispute that arose post the 2006 parliamentary election victory by Hamas and the two later attended a conference with multiple Palestinian factions in Egypt.

Hamas refused to accede to Abbas’s call for supporting a “peaceful popular resistance” against Israel. The terror group further asserted its refusal to acknowledge any political program that recognizes Israel or the accords signed between Palestinians and Israelis over the past thirty years.