Trial of a resistance leader

Marwan Barghouti, the leader of the Fatah movement in the West Bank, was recently brought to trial. He is the first Palestinian leader to be brought to court in Israel, which has indicted him on charges of murder , conspiracy to murder and activities in a "terrorist" organisation. The Israeli prosecution is seeking a sentence of life imprisonment, accusing him of orchestrating several attacks against Israeli targets.

The following is a review of the Arab press' discussion of Barghouti's trial and the real implication of such an issue on the future relationship between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Resistance has always been the only means of countering the hegemonic dominance of any colonial power, with examples throughout history of oppressed people constituting the sole force of resistance capable of changing the state of tyranny, writes Al Sharq (Qatar) in its editorial comment.

Colonial powers know that the determination of the colonised constitutes a danger to their interests and their existence. That is why they disguise their oppression of these people by citing the need for security and stability, and regard members of the resistance as saboteurs and terrorists.

Marwan Barghouti is one such member of the resistance. He is accused by Israel of being the actual leader of the Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade allegedly responsible for several bombing attacks against Israeli targets, adds Al Sharq.

From the very beginning, Barghouti has explained that resistance is the only response to occupation, and if the Israeli occupation ends, the Palestinian resistance will stop automatically. Israel intends to convict Barghouti, describing him as the silent partner who incites the murder of "innocent civilians".

However, Israel ignores the real reasons leading to the death of its citizens, which lies in its occupation of the Palestinian territories. While the court will base its plea on the consequences of the bombing attacks, Barghouti will concentrate his defence on the causes, concludes Al Sharq.

Despite four months of imprisonment, Barghouti's strength of mind seems intact. Indeed, he is determined to benefit from the public proceedings to expose his views as a man of peace who believes in the necessity for both Israelis and Palestinians to co-exist in equality and peace within the same state, writes Huda Al Husseini in Asharq Al Awsat (UK-based).

There is a real Palestinian consensus on the personality of Barghouti, not only because he is one of the Intifada leaders but also because he is not involved with financial corruption and everybody considers him the potential successor to Yasser Arafat.

U.S. President George W. Bush has asked the Palestinians to choose a new leadership disposed towards conducting peace negotiations with the Israeli side, and Barghouti appears to be the most acceptable personality for the majority of Palestinians, as also for Europeans and Israelis, adds Al Husseini.

Yet, the U.S. does not seem to want to spoil its relationship with Israel, President Bush does not want to repeat his predecessors' mistakes by confronting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. On the contrary, he does not want any incident to disturb his country's war on terrorism; he prefers to leave the issue to the Arabs and Israelis to settle among themselves.

The trial of Barghouti will not change the status quo. Indeed, the continuation of the Israeli military operations within the Palestinian Occupied Territories for several months now has convinced Israeli public opinion that there will not be a repetition of the situation when the Israeli army withdrew from south Lebanon. For their part, the Palestinians have to content themselves with security meetings with no political gains, such as the determination of a deadline for the Israeli withdrawal.

Thus, the American administration will not exert any pressure on Sharon, obliging him to give concessions, unless there is a crucial change in the orientation of Israeli public opinion, says Al Husseini.

The importance of people like Barghouti lies in his ability to restore the rights of the Palestinians, leading to the creation of an independent state, concludes Al Husseini.

Due to his trial, Barghouti has succeeded in highlighting the real role of Israel as responsible for the chaos in the occupied territories and as a force of occupation and oppression, writes Al Jazeera (Saudi Arabia).

Israel has made a mistake by presenting Barghouti for trial, because he is one of the most prominent symbols of the Palestinian resistance, which confers upon him a huge popularity among his fellow citizens as well as international support that can pressurise Israel to free him. Barghouti has always prioritised the peaceful option over any other means of resistance because he believes that the existence of two states within the same territories is the only viable option for both Palestinians and Israelis, adds Al Jazeera.

In reality, Israeli fears peace and peace initiatives. That is why it is coming down heavily on someone like Barghouti who can reveal its real intentions and its false claims for peace, concludes Al Jazeera.

Indeed, Israel wants to muzzle any voice that calls for the restoration of Palestinian rights, writes Khaleed Mohammed Ahmad in Al Bayan (UAE). Sharon has failed to grant peace and security to his voters and failed to stop the Intifada as he promised. That is why he is trying to transform the trial of Barghouti into a political success.

The imprisonment of Barghouti, who is a legitimate representative of the Palestin-ians, constitutes a glaring violation of human rights and an infringement of all international conventions. Yet, Palestinians' rights are violated daily right before the eyes of a passive international community. And financial aid to Egypt is suspended under the pretext that Egypt does not respect human rights, adds Ahmad.

One should ask why the U.S. does not intervene to stop the violation of human rights suffered by the Palestinians. Why is there no investigation commission dispatched to reveal to the world the massacres perpetuated every day by the Israeli army, questions Ahmad.

Barghouti has been tortured during the last four months of arrest, with the Israelis inflicting all sorts of torture on him. Despite this ill treatment, he stood in the court to reaffirm his determination to reach a peaceful settlement, which implies the creation of two states in the same territory. Barghouti is only trying to defend his people's right to resist the occupation.

Hence, he symbolises the actual Arab and Palestinian resistance facing the oppressive Israeli arsenal, concludes Ahmad.