Palestinians say the surge of violence is because Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has no viable peace plan and only wants war. But Israelis point the finger at Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and a few of his deputies, accusing them of orchestrating a systematic campaign of terrorism and intimidation. One of those deputies, Marwan Barghouthi, is arguably the most prominent Palestinian figure of the intifada.
Barghouthi began battling Israeli occupation long before the current round of violence. He has spent years in Israeli prisons, was deported in 1988 and returned to the West Bank seven years ago as an advocate of Israeli-Palestinian rapprochement. But years of inconclusive negotiations and a failed peace summit in the summer of 2000 persuaded Barghouthi that Palestinians must resurrect their “armed struggle” in order to end Israeli rule in the West Bank and Gaza. Barghouthi spoke to NEWSWEEK’s Dan Ephron hours before an Israeli helicopter strike killed one of his close associates in the West Bank in a fresh wave of reprisals on Tuesday.
NEWSWEEK: The situation seem to be spiraling out of control–at least in part because of Palestinian attacks on Israelis that you’ve encouraged. Where does it go from here?
Marwan Barghouthi: I called on all Palestinians to go out and attack Israeli soldiers at checkpoints. I think that because of Israeli aggression and Israeli escalation the Palestinians should fight, they should defend themselves. We are suffering, we are being humiliated. Every day Palestinians are killed at Israeli roadblocks and checkpoints. These checkpoints are a symbol of Israeli military occupation and I think Palestinians should resist them.
You’re saying the Israeli military checkpoints should be the focus of Palestinian attacks?
The more Palestinians became affected by the checkpoints and by the limitations imposed on our movement, the more people want to take out their anger on soldiers. This is part of a new phase of the intifada [uprising.]
Describe the new phase.
It started in the last few weeks. We see primarily attacks against Israeli military targets, against soldiers and settlers.
But also civilians. Last night a gunman shot Israelis in a cafe. This morning a suicide bomber blew himself up in a bus inside Israel. Your own Fatah group claimed responsibility.
Sometimes that happens, but it’s not the strategy of Fatah. We’re trying to prevent any kind of attack inside Israel. But I think after the Israeli massacres and killing and suffering, sometimes you will find somebody who will react. So it’s not a strategy for Fatah to attack inside Israel, it’s only some kind of reaction.
In that case, do you condemn attacks on civilians inside Israel?
No. I can understand why it’s happening. Yesterday, 17 Palestinians were killed, among them nine women and children. I think [the gunman who killed three Israelis in a Tel Aviv restaurant] did what he did under pressure. He saw pictures of dead Palestinian children and women. Israelis must understand that security can only be achieved one way–through an end to Israeli occupation.
Are you trying to bring down Ariel Sharon politically?
Of course we are. We are trying to bring down the Israeli policy of occupation. And I think the symbol of Israeli occupation and its ideology is Prime Minister Sharon. So when Sharon falls, it will not be a defeat for him as a person, but as an ideology. I think this will be an achievement for the intifada.
And you think you can do it?
Yes.
But the collapse of Sharon’s government might bring an even tougher Israeli leader to office.
We don’t care. We will continue. We believe this is the time to end the occupation and we have a right to resist. It’s legal under international law to fight against the occupation.
Suicide attacks were once associated only with religious groups like Hamas. But your movement, Fatah, is now producing more suicide bombers than any other group. These are people who aren’t religious, they don’t spend all their free time in mosques. How do you explain the phenomenon of secular suicide bombers?
People have lost hope. They see their brothers, their children or their friends dying in Israeli attacks. I don’t think that in the history of our struggle there was ever such a huge number of people ready to sacrifice their lives to end the occupation. These people would rather die than live under Israeli rule. It shows how much Palestinians are despairing.
How do you convince a person to die for a cause? I’m not the leader of the al-Aqsa brigades [which recruits suicide bombers.] I’m not a military leader. I’m a politician and a member of parliament. But I support military resistance.
Israelis say you are the military leader, but you disguise yourself as a political figure.
The Israelis are always trying to make accusations. They have a problem not with Barghouthi or Arafat. They have a problem with Palestinians in general. They killed lots of cadres over the years, but they didn’t manage to crush the Palestinian quest for independence.
What kind of protective measures against Israeli assassination do you take these days that you weren’t taking a few months ago?
I’m trying not to use my car, not to sleep in my house. We are living in a small town and Israelis have sophisticated technology.
What signs have you seen that Israelis are targeting you?
There are signs, but I don’t want to talk about them. Israelis must understand that we are real partners for peace, but Sharon is only trying to find partners for war.
You said a few days ago that the intifada had passed the point of no return. What did you mean by that?
I meant that Israel cannot break the intifada by force, with the use of tanks and planes. There’s no military solution to our resistance and nobody can stop this intifada without political achievements.
What kind of political achievements?
The end of the occupation. I won’t agree to continue raising my children under occupation.
Nearly a thousand Palestinians have died during the intifada. As an uprising leader, do you feel you share responsibility for their deaths?
I think when you fight for freedom and independence, it’s legitimate. Those responsible are the Israeli prime minister and defense minister who give orders for their army to kill huge numbers of Palestinians.
