This, in order to enable him to run in the PA elections, if he so desires. Poraz said that in the past, Prime Minister Sharon released terrorists in exchange for Elchanan Tenenbaum.
As with his remarks about allowing Jerusalem Arabs to vote in the PA election, here too Poraz was met with immediate opposition. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said that Barghouti would spend the rest of his life in prison, and Minister Yisrael Katz also negated a Barghouti release. Prime Minister Sharon also said that, "contrary to some things that have been said, we did not release terrorists with blood on their hands. In the last exchange, only those who acted against the IDF in Lebanon were released." Other Israeli sources noted that Barghouti's conviction was not a political matter, but rather a simple case of direct involvement in murder.
Imprisoned since April 2002, Barghouti was convicted in a civilian court of murdering five Israelis and was sentenced to several life terms in prison. The court also found that he was responsible for the murder of some 30 other Israelis.
As with his remarks about allowing Jerusalem Arabs to vote in the PA election, here too Poraz was met with immediate opposition. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said that Barghouti would spend the rest of his life in prison, and Minister Yisrael Katz also negated a Barghouti release. Prime Minister Sharon also said that, "contrary to some things that have been said, we did not release terrorists with blood on their hands. In the last exchange, only those who acted against the IDF in Lebanon were released." Other Israeli sources noted that Barghouti's conviction was not a political matter, but rather a simple case of direct involvement in murder.
Imprisoned since April 2002, Barghouti was convicted in a civilian court of murdering five Israelis and was sentenced to several life terms in prison. The court also found that he was responsible for the murder of some 30 other Israelis.