There seems to be no shortage of pundits willing to buy into the idea that Palestinian arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti should be let off the hook for multiple counts of murder. Case in point is Michael Bell, former Canadian ambassador to Israel, who described Barghouti in an opinion piece published in the Globe & Mail yesterday as a “charismatic”, “popular,” and “moderate” leader:
Is Marwan Barghouti a “charismatic”, “popular” and “moderate” leader or is he a Palestinian terrorist?
To call this description of Marwan Barghouti a whitewash would be an understatement considering Barghouti was convicted in a civilian court on five counts of murder, with responsibility for the grisly killing of a Greek monk and diners in a seafood restaurant. Barghouti is a murderous terrorist who, under the laws of any democratic society, deserves to remain behind bars. Even if Barghouti were to be released at some future date for practical reasons, that would not diminish his crimes or the legitimacy of putting him behind bars in the first place. Portraying a convicted murderer of civilians as a “moderate” politician is an affront not only to Barghouti’s victims, but also to liberal democratic values such as the right to life and the rule of law.
HRC Executive Director Mike Fegelman responded to Michael Bell in a letter to the Editor published in the Globe & Mail today:
