Marwan Barghouti
Marwan BarghoutiFlash 90

The wife of Fatah archterrorist Marwan Barghouti, Fadwa, has met in recent weeks with senior figures from around the Arab world, and with diplomatic actors in the US and Europe, asking them to act to obtain her husband’s release from Israeli prison, Haaretz reports.

Barghouti is serving several life sentences in Israel for his role in planning terrorist attacks against Israelis.

He is widely believed to have planned the Second Intifada, which claimed thousands of Israeli lives from 2000 to 2005. Barghouti has continued inciting to terrorism from his jail cell.

Sources close to Barghouti confirmed that the series of meetings held by Fadwa Barghouti is intended to establish international support for her husband to head the Palestinian Authority upon the end of current chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ term.

On her campaign, Barghouti met with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abu al-Gheit, and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, according to Haaretz.

The Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministries published official announcements regarding the meetings, as did the chambers of the Arab League Secretary-General. The announcements mentioned no initiatives or operative steps toward Barghouti’s release, but the very holding of the meetings indicates interest in developments ahead of a change in Palestinian leadership.

Despite his imprisonment in Israel, Barghouti has long been viewed as a candidate to succeed Abbas as PA chairman.

Abbas' term as PA chairman was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office in the absence of elections.

Abbas called for election in 2021 but later postponed them, citing Israel’s refusal to allow Arabs residing in eastern Jerusalem to vote. However, many believe that the real reason is Abbas’ fear that he would lose the elections to Hamas.