Israel will shortly put Marwan Barghouti on trial in an Israeli criminal court on charges of premeditated murder, abetting murder, soliciting murder, attempted murder, conspiring to commit crimes, being active in a terrorist organization, and belonging to a terrorist organization. The trial will begin Thursday, September 5, 2002, and is certain to attract prominent media coverage.
ACTION ITEMS:
1) Educate the public and media about Barghouti's links to terror by writing a short letter to the editor of your local or national paper to express your thoughts about Barghouti's role in instigating and perpetuating violence against Israelis. If you want to include information about particular victims, you can find their names in the "Barghouti Appendix" ( http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp? MFAH0mcr0 ), and then go to the "In Memoriam" website (www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0iky0) to click on their names for details about their lives.
2) Using the background material below, communicate with members of the media (addresses at the bottom of this alert) to help ensure that coverage of Barghouti and his trial contains essential context and background information regarding his history of organizing violence. Urge that photographs of Barghouti's Israeli victims be published, as well as a list of the terrorist attacks for which he was responsible.
3) If you read or see news about the trial that whitewashes Barghouti's past, lacks balance, or does not contain sufficient information about Israel's detailed allegations against him, please write to the news organization.
4) Many talk radio programs may turn to this topic. Call in to describe Barghouti's active role in the violence. Mention one or two of his victims by name. Remind listeners that Israel seeks to apply the norms of justice in their democracy to a man involved, according to his charge sheet, in orchestrating massive violence and killing.
Information on Marwan and Ahmed Barghouti (Communicated by the IDF Spokesman) April 15, 2002 Marwan Hatib Barghouti - Ramallah
On April 14, 2002 an IDF force in Ramallah arrested Marwan Barghouti, head of the Fatah supreme committee in the West Bank and leader of the military wing of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, which between September 2000 - April 2002 carried out thousands of terror attacks against Israel, including suicide bombings.
1. Marwan Barghouti Served as Secretary General of Fatah in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, a member of the Palestinian legislature, head of the Tanzim, and the founder of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades which has carried out a large number of deadly terrorist attacks killing scores of Israelis and wounding hundreds.
2. In the framework of his activities, he has received large amounts of funds from different sources both inside and outside Israel. Among these sources is the Palestinian Authority. The specific allocations of these funds were authorized by the actual signature of Yassser Arafat. These funds were used by Marwan Barghouti to finance many activities carried out by terror cells in the West Bank.
3. Marwan Barghouti served as the most senior official in the Al- Aqsa Brigades. Nasser Avis, who was recently captured in Samaria, and Ahmed Barghouti, who was Marwan Barghouti's personal assistant, reported directly to him. These two served as his operational officers and, under the initiative of Marwan Barghouti, launched dozens of attacks, including a large number of suicide bombings within Israel.
4. The following are some of the more heinous terror attacks for which Marwan Barghouti is responsible:
Jun 12, 2001 - The murder of a Greek Orthodox monk on the road to Ma'ale Adumim. Jan 17, 2002 - The shooting attack during a bat mitzva celebration at a banquet hall in Hadera. Six Israelis were killed in this attack, 26 were injured. Jan 22, 2002 - The shooting spree on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem. Two Israelis were killed, 37 wounded. Feb 25, 2002 - The shooting attack in the Jerusalem residential neighborhood of Neve Ya'acov. One Israeli policewoman was killed, 9 Israelis were wounded. Feb 27, 2002 - The murder of an Israeli at a coffee factory in the Atarot industrial zone of Jerusalem. Feb 27, 2002 - The suicide attack perpetrated by Daryan Abu Aysha at the Maccabim checkpoint in which two policeman were injured. Mar 5, 2002 - The shooting spree at the Tel Aviv Seafood restaurant. Three Israelis were killed, 31 wounded. Mar 8, 2002 - A suicide terrorist was killed in Daheat el Barid as he was on his way to carry out an attack in Jerusalem. Mar 27, 2002 - The interception of an ambulance and the confiscation of an explosive belt which was being smuggled from Samaria into Barghouti's terrorist infrastructure in Ramallah.
Marwan Barghouti was also directly responsible for operating the terrorist cell of Raed Karmi in Tulkaram, which carried out a series of deadly terrorist attacks.
In a September 29, 2001 interview to the "Al Hayat" newspaper, published in London, Barghouti exposed his role in igniting the "Al- Aqsa Intifada." Following are selected excerpts from the newspaper article, including quotations by Barghouti as told to the reporter Hashem Abdallah: "I knew that the end of the month of September [2000] would be the last opportunity before the explosion, but when Sharon arrived at the Al Aqsa Mosque it was the strongest (most suitable) moment for the breakout of the Intifada. This is because the subject concerns Jerusalem, and even more it regards Al Aqsa. The meaning of this - setting fire to the entire region and specifically [due to the fact] that the issue of Al Aqsa inflames and ignites the sensibilities of the masses."
"On the eve of Sharon's visit I participated in a TV panel, on a local TV station. I found this to be the right opportunity to call upon the public to go to Al Aqsa on the following morning because it is not possible for Sharon to arrive at the Temple Mount [El-Haram Al-Sharif] 'just like that' and walk away peacefully. I was determined, and early the next morning I went to Al-Aqsa." "Sincerely, when I arrived at the area of the mosque, I was surprised by the people who had arrived. The gathering there consisted entirely of Palestinians of 1948, eight of them Israeli- Arab members of the parliament and over 60 other well-known people. I was dissatisfied with the small attendance and when friction did not occur, I became angry. We tried to create friction, but with no success - due to conflicts of opinions that emerged with other people surrounding the friction created at the Al Aqsa square at the time."
"We did not need a war. The issue is completely different. War breaks out according to the decision of the president or the commander of the military. The Intifada however, was not ignited by a person or a group of people, but it evolved from reaching deeply into the feeling of the masses. There were those who were opposed to the conflict. At the same time, I saw within the situation a historic opportunity to ignite the conflict. The strongest conflict is the one that initiated from Jerusalem due to the sensitivity of the city, its uniqueness and its special place in the hearts of the masses who are willing to sacrifice themselves [for her] with not even thinking of the cost."
"After Sharon left, I had stayed in the area for two hours with other well known people and we spoke about the character of the reaction and of how people should react in all the towns and villages and not only in Jerusalem. We made contact with all the factions."
Barghouti made it clear that he did not leave Jerusalem until the early hours of Thursday evening - Friday morning, after speaking and consulting with operatives of the Fatah's Shabiba organization [Fatah youths]. The Shabiba organization distributed a proclamation on Wednesday, the eve of Sharon's visit, calling upon the public to disapprove of the visit. The contacts, which included members of the Fatah organization dealt with one thing: the character of the reaction of the following day, Friday, September 29, 2000 - a day that will forever be remembered and inscribed in the minds of this entire generation, as the day on which the Intifada was ignited and turned inside-out and upside-down the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations of the last 10 years and the fragile peace process.When Barghouti left Jerusalem that same night, he knew very well that he would return there in several hours. He returned on Friday morning in order to witness the outbreak of the Intifada.
"When I arrived to the Old City, the conflict had started already and no-one could either enter or leave. I went towards Salah A-Din Street and it was closed. I then went to the area of A-Tur to the hospital Elmakuasad in order to examine the condition of the hurt and the wounded. When we came near the area, the conflict arrived there. Close to 3,000 people barricaded the area."
"The situation was war. By definition. Now, more then ever I felt as if the city of Jerusalem was burning. I also felt that there was a good Jerusalemite and Palestinian response. Through the media I called to turn the next day into a day of solidarity with Jerusalem."
The same evening Barghouti went to area of the Arab Triangle within Israel, where he was supposed to attend a convention. Concerning this, he said:"While we were in the vehicle on our way to the Arab Triangle, I prepared a proclamation on behalf of the high Fatah committee in coordination with the brothers [apparently the Hamas] in which we called upon [the people] to react to what happened in Jerusalem. When I came back to Ramallah I continued the talks with the contacts I had gathered around me regarding the character of our activity and the continuation of the reaction."
Barghouti makes it clear that matters had not yet been fully established, though the reaction on the last Saturday of the month of September tipped the scales in the other directions, and no-one could do anything, even though pressures were operated, in order to stop the human flood on all the conquered lands."
For more info, go to:
http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0mcw0
http://www.idf.il/english/ishumim/bargouti.stm