Israel’s far-right national security minister recently paid a surprise visit to Marwan Barghouti, a high-profile Palestinian prisoner, telling him “you will not win,” according to a video shared on Friday. The incident came just a day after another senior cabinet member declared plans that would further obstruct the creation of a Palestinian state.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, posted the footage on his X account. In the video, he is seen addressing Barghouti — who has been imprisoned for more than 20 years and is considered by many Palestinians as a unifying national figure — warning that anyone who poses a threat to Israel would be “eliminated.”
The visit reportedly took place earlier in the week but gained attention after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also from the far-right, announced plans to build a new settlement that would effectively split the West Bank and increase its separation from East Jerusalem, the area Palestinians seek as their future capital.
“This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state. Simply because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise,” Smotrich stated during a Thursday press conference.
In the 13-second video, Barghouti appears thin and subdued as Ben-Gvir tells him: “You will not win. Anyone who messes with the people of Israel, anyone who murders our children, anyone who murders our women — we will wipe him out. You have to know this, throughout history.” The video ends before showing Barghouti’s reply.
The prime minister’s office did not respond to inquiries about the visit, and Ben-Gvir’s spokesperson declined to comment.
The Palestinian Authority strongly criticised Ben-Gvir’s actions and statements, calling them a threat against the 66-year-old prisoner. Barghouti, a leading figure in the Fatah party that governs parts of the West Bank, has long been seen as a potential successor to President Mahmoud Abbas.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns in the strongest terms the storming of the solitary confinement sections of Rimon Prison by extremist Minister Ben-Gvir and his direct threat to brother and leader Marwan Barghouti,” the Authority said in a statement.
Barghouti was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to five life terms plus 40 years for allegedly organising deadly attacks during the second Palestinian uprising. Israel considers him a militant responsible for violence that killed around 1,000 Israelis and 3,000 Palestinians. Barghouti has consistently denied the charges.
Reacting to the visit, Barghouti’s wife wrote in a Facebook post: “They are still, Marwan, chasing you and pursuing you, even in the solitary cell you’ve been living in for two years.”
Many Palestinians view Barghouti as a leading candidate to eventually replace Mahmoud Abbas, who is now 89. Some supporters liken him to Nelson Mandela, believing he could unify a fractured Palestinian political scene.
A May 6 poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research found that Barghouti would receive 50% of the vote in a three-way presidential race against Abbas and former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, with voter turnout projected at 64%.
Palestinian presidential elections have not been held since 2005.
The majority of world governments still support the idea of a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — envisioning an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, comprising the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. However, negotiations have stalled for more than a decade, and Palestinians argue that expanding Israeli settlements are fragmenting the land meant for their future state.
The viability of such a solution has diminished further following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that sparked the current Gaza war. While Hamas claims to be fighting for a Palestinian state, it does not recognise Israel’s right to exist and its founding charter calls for Israel’s destruction. Israel’s current administration is the most hardline in the country’s history, and Palestinian leaders in the West Bank face internal criticism for their failure to curb settlement growth.
The United Nations has declared the Israeli settlements illegal under international law, though Israel rejects that stance. Smotrich’s settlement announcement on Thursday sparked widespread international backlash.
Meanwhile, tensions continue on the ground. Residents of Atara, a village in the West Bank, reported that Israeli settlers attacked their community, setting fire to three cars and leaving threatening graffiti on walls. The Israeli military stated that it is investigating the incident.
