Could Marwan Barghouti End the Conflict with Israel?
Marwan Barghouti is a Palestinian political figure who has been in prison for over 20 years. He was born in the West Bank in 1959 and became involved in the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). He was arrested by Israeli forces at 18 and spent the next decade in and out of prison. Barghouti was exiled to Jordan during the intifada in 1987 but returned after the Oslo Accords in 1993. He became secretary-general of Fatah and warned of violence if a Palestinian state was not established. Barghouti was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to five life terms. Despite being in prison, his popularity has grown and he is seen as a crucial player in Palestinian politics who could potentially end the conflict with Israel.