Israel’s far-right security minister posted video footage of himself provoking the most famous Palestinian prisoners this week while visiting him in prison.
The video is the first time that 66-year-old Marwan Barghouti, who has been sentenced to five life sentences after being convicted in 2002 for his role in a plot to attack that killed five Israeli civilians. He appears to be Gantt and frail, and he nods slightly, clutching his arms forward.
In the 13-second video, Itamar Ben Gwil threatens Bargouti by untie, saying, “Whoever harms the people of Israel, kills children, kills women, we will wipe them out.”
Barghouti appears to be trying to respond by saying, “You know…” before Ben Gvir immediately cuts off him. “No, you need to know this through everything in history.” The video then ends abruptly. Ben Gwil posted a video on his telegram channel Friday morning.
Opinion polls consistently show him as the most popular Palestinian politician, and his time in prison only increased the praise he holds by the Palestinians. Despite his life sentence, some view him as the successor to the aging Palestinian authorities, President Mahmoud Abbas.
Barghouti is seen very rarely, and in many cases videos and images are commonly seen. Nevertheless, he is considered to be one of the few people who are extremely influential and able to unite the Palestinian society behind a single leader.
On multiple occasions, the Palestinians have tried to secure his release, reportedly in ceasefire negotiations during the current war. However, Israel refused to consider releasing Balguti.
The video ignited an almost immediate response from Palestinian officials who condemned Ben Gouville’s message and Bargouti’s condition. According to his family and the Palestinian Prisoners Association, Barguti has been in solitary confinement since the start of the war on October 7th.
Barghouti’s wife, Fadwa al Barghouti, said she didn’t recognize him at first, and “part of me might not want to acknowledge everything your face and body expresses,” she said in a social media post.
“They are still chasing you, and even in the solitary confinement cell you have lived in for two years. The struggle between the profession and its symbol continues, and the chains are still in your hands.”
Barghouti’s cousin told CNN that the video showed “the worst,” adding that his relatives looked “very thin” and “very weakened.”
When asked what the motive for Ben Gwil to humiliate Bargouti, Mustafa Bargouti said that the far-right minister “did not humiliate Marwan – he did not humiliate him.”
“You can’t humiliate someone who is weakened by being put in prison and placed in a cell,” he said. “In fact, he humiliated the Israeli government through this action.”
It is unclear why Ben Goville posted the video. This appears to be filmed at a high security prison in southern Israel, where Barguti is being held. The far-right national security minister, known for making provocative statements, spent time in prison for anti-Arab agitation.
Hussein al-Sheikh, vice president of Palestinian authorities, called the threat of Ben Gwyr “the height of psychological, moral and physical terrorism practiced against prisoners and a violation of international and humanitarian practices and norms.”
He released the issue of prisoners, Lead Abu al-Hummus, the head of the Palestinian authorities for prisoners, and he described Ben Gwil as “fully responsible” for Bargouti’s life. He warned that the threatening visit was a “dangerous sign of intent” for Ben Gwil.
