‘It is impossible to give up the option of resistance for as long as there is occupation,’ Palestinian lawmaker Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five consecutive life terms in an Israeli prison, told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Corriere della Sera published Friday an exclusive interview with the jailed Fatah leader, but did not specify how it managed to interview Barghouthi, who is placed in solitary confinement.
‘The withdrawal from Gaza has been obtained thanks not to the skill of the negotiators but to the arms of the intifada,’ Barghouthi said.
But, the jailed leader believes that the Gaza pullout, being partial, won’t bring peace and stability.
‘It is partial. If the situation remains as it is, it won’t bring about peace and stability.’ Barghouthi said, referring to the disengagement plan.
Israel plans to evacuate Gaza Strip settlements and four isolated West Bank ones in the summer. Israel also plans to redeploy its forces to the borders of the Palestinian Strip.
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Barghouthi warned that Palestinian resistance groups are not getting much in return for observing a truce with Israel that was declared in February, therefore it would be hard to maintain calm.ÂÂ
‘What have we had in return (for the truce)? New settlements, a siege, checkpoints and thousands of prisoners still in jail,’ Barghouti said.
The jailed Fatah leader also said that it would be difficult to reach a peaceful solution with the current Israeli leadership, but referred to ‘elements in the Israeli society who seek a real peace, who reject occupation, those are our future interlocutors.’
Barghouti expressed support to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ efforts to reform and crack down on corruption, urging Abbas to finish the job within a year.
‘If he carries out his reform plan, I will stand by him, like the majority of Palestinians,’ Barghouti said.
‘But he must make no compromises, there must be no exceptions.’ Barghouthi added.
