Will ‘Palestine’s Mandela’ Be Freed as Part of the Gaza Ceasefire?
Who is Marwan Barghouti? Why is he nicknamed “Palestine’s Mandela”? And why does Israel see him as such a big threat, even behind bars, that it is adamantly refusing to release him as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal?This week on Mehdi Unfiltered, Mehdi goes on a deep dive into Barghouti’s life, his activism, and most importantly, all the red flags around his trial and imprisonment by Israel.Barghouti’s story, like that of most Palestinians, is a mix of struggle and hope. The former Fatah official, the political party currently led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, is the most popular leader among Palestinians today. And while 89-year-old Abbas sets a low bar for competition, Mehdi explains what makes Barghouti still so popular after decades of imprisonment - and such a threat to both Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas.It is rare for any Palestinian to see an inkling of justice in Israel’s military courts. Red flag after red flag, Mehdi details everything that went wrong in Barghouti’s trial, from torture to international law violations to a judge with a grudge, because there is no statute of limitations on injustice, especially when its victims continue to pay the price for it.“My father used to always tell me that hope is sometimes a privilege, and being hopeless is a privilege that we can't have as Palestinians.”Also, Marwan Barghouti’s son, Arab Barghouthi, joins Mehdi to discuss the latest on his father’s condition, his health after decades behind bars, and whether prison changed him from the leader he was.“I don't think so,” Arab refutes, “I have my trust in God first and in my father, because he is someone who has been through a lot in his life.” Despite his hope, Arab is also well aware of his father’s difficult conditions in prison, especially since the October 7 attack.“The head of Ofer prison came to him and in front of other prisoners, he asked him to put his hands behind his back and to kneel, to try to tell the other prisoners that if I can humiliate your leader, I can humiliate you all, which he refused. So they forced him to do it, which got his shoulder dislocated,” Arab recounts, adding that many more torture techniques were used against his father including solitary confinement and sleep deprivation.Watch the full interview above to find out why Marwan Barghouti’s case should have never reached Israeli courts, and if Arab believes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would actually support his father’s release in 2025.If you liked this episode of Mehdi Unfiltered, do consider becoming a paid subscriber today and let us know who you’d like to see on our show next! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe
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