National Infrastuctures Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer reiterated his proposal to release from prison arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for his role in the planning or direct murder of over 30 Jews. According to Ben Eliezer, who was speaking at a cultural forum Saturday morning in Haifa, Barghouti is the only Fatah figure Israel can make a deal with who will be strong enough to trump Hamas.

“The current negotiations [between Israel and the Palestinian Authority] are only virtual negotiations," Ben-Eliezer said. “I have great respect for [Mahmoud] Abbas and Salam Fayad, they are good people. But where are the 60,000 firearms we gave them? Everything is now in the hands of Hamas. I am looking for someone we can close a deal with,” he said, naming Barghouti as his preferred choice.