Marwan Barghouti Palestinian politician, leader of the terrorist organization "Tanzim" Date of Birth: 06.06.1959

1. Early Life and Political Activism
2. Leadership and Deportation
3. Political Career and Conflicts
4. Role in the Second Intifada
5. Alleged Terrorism and Imprisonment

Early Life and Political Activism

Marwan Barghouti (born June 6, 1959) is a prominent Palestinian politician and a leading figure in the Fatah movement. Born in Ramallah, he comes from the Barghouti clan, and Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti is a distant relative.

At the age of 15, Barghouti became an activist in Fatah. In the mid-1980s, he was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison for terrorist activities. While incarcerated, he learned Hebrew.

Leadership and Deportation

Upon his release, Barghouti returned to the West Bank and enrolled at Birzeit University, where he became the head of the student union. He earned a bachelor's degree in history and political science, and later a master's degree in international relations.

During the First Intifada, Barghouti emerged as one of the leaders of the uprising, organizing mass rallies and demonstrations. This led to his detention and deportation to Jordan by the Israeli authorities. He spent seven years in exile before being allowed to return under the Oslo Accords in 1994.

Political Career and Conflicts

Barghouti was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 1996, where he often clashed with Yasser Arafat. In 2000, he lost his position as Fatah "general secretary" in the West Bank, but continued to refer to himself as such.

Relations between Arafat and Barghouti deteriorated further in 2000 due to Barghouti's persistent accusations of corruption and human rights abuses within the Palestinian Authority. Arafat reportedly planned to dismiss Barghouti.

Role in the Second Intifada

With the outbreak of the Second Intifada, Barghouti became a central figure in the Tanzim terrorist organization. Tanzim, along with other groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, carried out numerous attacks against Israeli civilians.

Barghouti led marches to Israeli checkpoints that often turned violent, and gave inflammatory speeches at demonstrations and funerals, calling for continued armed struggle until the liberation of "Arab Palestine" from Israeli occupation.

Alleged Terrorism and Imprisonment

In 2002, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades released a statement declaring Barghouti as their leader. While Barghouti denied founding the Brigades, he welcomed some of their actions, which included attacks against civilians.

During Israel's Operation Protective Wall in 2002, the Israeli Foreign Ministry presented evidence that the Palestinian Authority, headed by Arafat, had actively supported terrorism. Barghouti, as head of Tanzim, was among those implicated.

In 2004, Barghouti was arrested by Israeli forces and charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. He was sentenced to five life terms in prison and an additional 40 years.