Family of jailed Fatah terror leader Barghouthi reportedly urged Trump to facilitate his release

The family of imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi has contacted U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to pressure Israel to secure Barghouthi’s release, BBC Persian reported Friday.

In a letter addressed to Trump, the family presented Barghouthi as a peace partner and a unifying force for the Arabic-speaking population in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, internationally known as the West Bank. 

“Mr. President, a true partner awaits you. Someone who can help realize our shared dream of a just and lasting peace in the region. Help free Marwan Barghouti for the freedom of the Palestinian people and peace for future generations," the family letter stated.

Barghouthi’s cousin told BBC Persian that he was “80% certain” that the jailed terrorist relative would be released in exchange for the remaining living Israeli hostages. 

"No one can unite Palestinians like him," Barghouti’s brother Moqbel claimed.

Barghouthi is serving a life sentence for his leading role in the lethal Second Intifada terror wave in the early 2000s, which claimed the lives of over 1,000 Israelis, mainly civilians including women, children and elderly. 

Last month, Trump revealed during an interview with Time magazine that he considered pressuring Israel to release the arch-terrorist Barghouthi. 

"He tops most polls amongst Palestinians for whom they would vote for in a presidential election. But he's in prison, and Israel has refused to let him out,” the Time magazine journalist stated, adding, “He was arrested in 2002. Ron Lauder, a big supporter of yours, recently encouraged Israel to let him out. Do you think Israel should release him from prison?”

The president responded: “I am literally being confronted with that question about 15 minutes before you called. That was the question. That was my question of the day. So I'll be making a decision."

However, Israel announced in October that it would not release Barghouthi from jail. 

"I think they see my father as a political threat. They never considered him a security threat, because he was never a soldier or a general. He was always a politician, a member of parliament, and a member of the Fatah Central Committee," Barghouthi’s son claimed. 

"Palestinian unity can be a great help to regional stability. My father believes in political solutions and supported coexistence and the peace process in the 1990s,” the son continued. "I think this could be the beginning of a new way of thinking about the region and the Palestinian cause. I really hope that one day we will be free and independent, live with dignity, and our children will live in peace."

Barghouthi founded the Fatah-affiliated terrorist organization Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, which carried out numerous terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. He has previously called for Israel's destruction and opposed a peaceful two-state solution.

In August, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir personally visited Barghouthi in jail where he berated the terrorist leader. 

“You won’t win. Whoever messes with the Nation of Israel, whoever murders our children and women, we will wipe them out. You should know this, [this happened] throughout history,” Ben Gvir told Barghouthi. 

Following Hamas’ release of the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages last month, it is unlikely that the Jewish state will release Marwan Barghouthi any time soon.