With Marwan Barghouti allowing himself to be nominated as a candidate in the Palestinian elections slated for Jan. 9, 2005, Israel and the US are placed in a politically interesting position.
Keen to see Western-style democracy take root in the Arab region — to the extent of invading Iraq and tolerating the huge “collateral damage” among the civilian population during the drive for liberation — it promises to be an interesting test of America’s commitment to the principle of democracy should Barghouti win.
Having ousted a president they determined as evil and threatening in Iraq, how will the US deal with a freely and democratically elected president — described as a terrorist — in jail in Israel?
To argue that Barghouti should not be recognized because he has a history of terrorism would be disingenuous in the extreme. The US has accommodated ex-terrorists quite comfortably before in the Middle East, as several generations of Israeli prime ministers evidence. Their terrorism though was not directed against the US or its current chums.
Indeed, the world and the US have rightly acclaimed the jailed Rolihlahla (Nelson) Mandela as a statesman. Ironically Rolihlahla can easily and somewhat prophetically be interpreted as “troublemaker.” The Nelson was added by a schoolteacher.
Mandela’s time in jail did nothing to damage his standing. He was there as a result of what the state he lived in perceived as terrorism. The policy of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) — armed wing of the ANC of which Mandela was a prominent figure — was not to target civilians or white people. However, a report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission says that whatever the intent, it happened. Between 1961 and 1963, before Mandela was jailed, about 190 attacks were recorded, undertaken mainly by regional operatives.
Barghouti is the leader of the Fatah movement in the West Bank, and has been closely identified with one of its militant offshoots, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Israel issued an arrest warrant for him in September 2001, accusing him of organizing paramilitaries and conspiring to murder. Eventually he was only convicted for causing the deaths of five people, as there was insufficient evidence connecting him to the other 21.
He first appeared in court August 2002 — charged with the killing of 26 Israelis and belonging to a terrorist organization. He denied the legitimacy of the Israeli court, insisting he was not a criminal but an elected politician; he was a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. He has denied founding Al-Aqsa but has hailed some operations by the group, which has also attacked Israeli military targets. The group claimed him as their leader, not helping his denials.
Barghouti and Mandela are products of their native lands. Barghouti has never been exiled or been compromised by questionable links with political figures outside the state. Amin Al-Husseini — a mulla and friend of Hitler and Ahmed Shuquairi who worked for the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior could not claim that. Arafat was born in Cairo — though he frequently claimed Jerusalem as his birthplace — and cannot claim a Palestinian birthright. Barghouti is fluent in the language of the people he has to deal with. Mandela as a lawyer understood the language and culture of the powers he opposed. Barghouti speaks Hebrew and has dealt at many levels with Israeli society. Barghouti’s targets, like Mandela’s, were essentially military and his organization was entirely home grown.
One of the strongest points in Barghouti’s favor is that, born in the post-partition generation, he has always called for a two-state system. Arafat for 30 years of his career called for the elimination of Israel; in the last ten he became at best equivocal.
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner,” said Mandela; but it could just as easily be Barghouti.
Comparisons may be odious, but if they were not effective, then the lessons of history would teach us nothing. By electing Barghouti, the Palestinian people may create an iconic president. This will force the major powers oppressing Palestine to deal with what will then be an ex-terrorist elected by the people.
