Last week Marwan Barghouti sent a letter to the International Conference for Palestinian Prisoners in Morocco, expressing his views on the Palestinian conflict with Israel.
He referred to Israel as "the worst and most abominable enemy known to humanity and modern history," while calling the Palestinian people "the great Palestinian nation, initiator of revolutions and Intifadas."
He advocated that Palestinians "continue on the path of resistance," and said that "the national independence of nations is seized, through sacrifice, resistance, resolve, and struggle. National independence is seized; one does not wait for it."
Barghouti also encouraged a full boycott of all Israeli products: "We must continue to act to isolate Israel further on the international, official, and popular level, and on all levels and in all spheres, as well as continuing the campaign to boycott all Israeli goods, not limiting it to settlement goods exclusively."
Barghouti is popular as a leader among Palestinians. Asked who they would vote for president, 19.1 % of the Palestinians polled would vote for Barghouti - almost as many as the 20.2 % who said they would vote for Abbas, who received the most votes in a poll from October 2010.
[Arab World for Research and Development,
http://www.awrad.org/pdfs/
poll from Oct. 2010]
http://www.awrad.org/pdfs/
poll from Oct. 2010]
In a poll asking Palestinians how they would vote if the presidential elections were between Marwan Barghouti and Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas, Barghouti received 65% of the votes and Haniyeh 31%. The poll found that if the choice was between current PA Chairman Abbas and Haniyeh, Abbas would only have received 56% of the votes.
[The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research,
http://www.pcpsr.org/survey/
The following is an excerpt of Marwan Barghouti's letter:
Marwan Barghouti: "I address special greetings to the great Palestinian nation, initiator of revolutions and Intifadas, with a legendary history of resolve facing the worst and most abominable enemy known to humanity and modern history; the enemy which does not refrain from carrying out massacres, continuing aggression, theft of land, establishment of settlements and expanding them, and to Judaize Jerusalem - the city of cities and the jewel in the crown of the [Arab] nation - and continues with a policy of detention against the members of a defenseless people. I take this opportunity to emphasize once again what we have always said: Israel and its various governments have never made a strategic decision about peace, and the wait to achieve national independence with the approval of the Israeli government is nothing but an illusion. The national independence of nations is seized, through sacrifice, resistance, resolve, and struggle. National independence is seized; one does not wait for it. The gamble on the US will be of no benefit, because it [the US] is not the patron of peace, but rather the patron of the Israeli occupation, aggression, and settlement. In order for our people to be able to seize our national rights, the first step must be an end to the destructive, shameful and wretched split [between Fatah and Hamas]... We must continue on the path of resistance, and act for further achievements and recognition for the establishment of the state. We must continue to act to isolate Israel further on the international, official, and popular level, and on all levels and in all spheres, as well as continuing the campaign to boycott all Israeli goods, not limiting it to settlement goods exclusively."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 24, 2011]
The following are the excerpts of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research poll relating to Marwan Barghouti and Abbas:
"If new presidential elections are held today, and only two were nominated,
Abbas would receive the vote of 56% and Haniyeh 38% of the vote of those
participating. The rate of participation in such election would reach
59%. Three months ago, Abbas received 57% and Haniyeh 36%. In the Gaza
Strip, Abbas receives 53% and Haniyeh 43% and in the West Bank Abbas
receives 59% and Haniyeh 34%."
"If the presidential elections were between Marwan Barghouti and IsmailHaniyeh, the former would receive 65% and the latter would receive 31% ofthe participants' votes. The rate of participation in this case would reach69%. In the Gaza Strip, Barghouti receives 61% and Haniyeh 37% and in theWest Bank Barghouti receives 68% and Haniyeh 27%. These results are similarto those obtained three months ago."
Abbas would receive the vote of 56% and Haniyeh 38% of the vote of those
participating. The rate of participation in such election would reach
59%. Three months ago, Abbas received 57% and Haniyeh 36%. In the Gaza
Strip, Abbas receives 53% and Haniyeh 43% and in the West Bank Abbas
receives 59% and Haniyeh 34%."
"If the presidential elections were between Marwan Barghouti and IsmailHaniyeh, the former would receive 65% and the latter would receive 31% ofthe participants' votes. The rate of participation in this case would reach69%. In the Gaza Strip, Barghouti receives 61% and Haniyeh 37% and in theWest Bank Barghouti receives 68% and Haniyeh 27%. These results are similarto those obtained three months ago."
"Most popular figures selected by the public as possible vice presidents froma list of five provided to respondents are Marwan Barghouti (selected by 27%of the public), Ismail Haniyeh (18%), Salam Fayyad (16%) Mustafa Barghouti(11%), and Saeb Erekat (5%)."
[The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research,http://www.pcpsr.org/survey/
