May the US Urge Israel to Free Marwan Barghouti - A Call from Global Leaders (As-salamu alaykum)
As-salamu alaykum. A group of prominent former world leaders has urged the US president to press Israel to release Marwan Barghouti after many years behind bars.
These elders say freeing Barghouti - who consistently tops Palestinian popularity polls - could be a meaningful step toward a two-state solution. The organization, started by the late Nelson Mandela in 2007 and chaired by former Colombian president and Nobel laureate Juan Manuel Santos, includes figures such as former Irish president Mary Robinson, ex-New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, and Mozambican leader Graca Machel.
Alongside calls for his release, the group pressed Israel to let humanitarian aid reach Gaza and condemned recent strikes there that have killed many Palestinians and risked undoing a fragile ceasefire brokered with US involvement.
Barghouti, who supports a two-state outcome, has been jailed since 2002. The elders criticized reports of his mistreatment and the alleged torture of other Palestinian detainees, noting that many are held arbitrarily. They reminded authorities of the duty to uphold prisoners’ human rights under international law.
The statement emphasized that only Palestinians should decide their leaders and welcomed President Mahmoud Abbas’s pledge to hold free and fair elections under international supervision within the next year to renew Palestinian governance.
Many Palestinians reportedly view Barghouti as “their Mandela,” and the group described him as a unifying figure. The elders also noted that some Israeli establishment figures, including a former head of Israel’s security service, back his release.
May Allah guide all parties toward justice, the protection of civilians, and a peaceful, fair resolution for Palestinians and Israelis.
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