Marwan Barghouti is considered a “moderate” palestinian, in spite of the fact that he’s serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail for his part in planning terror attacks. Here’s what the “moderate” palestinian leader had to say:
During the meeting, Barghouti said that establishing a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders including East Jerusalem, allowing the refugees to return, and releasing the prisoners is “the minimum the Palestinian people can acceptâ€.
“We’re struggling for a small country in size, but a large one in honor and freedom. The Palestinian people tried resistance without negotiation, and negotiation without resistance, and the truth is there is no other way but resistance to the 1967 occupier while keeping in mind the diplomatic horizon,†he said.
Yep. Moderate:
a person who is moderate in opinion or opposed to extreme views and actions, esp. in politics or religion.
Advocating the destruction of Israel, either by force or demographics, is a “moderate” leader’s stance.
But then, this is in regards to Israel. Up is down, left is right, bad is good, and the minimum means “every demand we have, no compromise.”
And people blame Israel for not negotiating with these people.
5 life sentences? Wheeeew… makes me wonder what a radical is….
You know, with good behavior, he might be able to cut those sentences in half…
Modrate ? Oh no way is he a moderate. The Palestinians want it ALL their way. There is no moderation in their thought or actions as Israelis know well.
A minor quibble, Meryl: Barghouti isn’t serving 5 life sentences just for his part in planning terror attacks, but for his part in the MURDER of Israeli civilians.
I hope this turdball rots in prison and never sees the outside world again. It fills me with anger whenever I hear speculation about a possible Barghouti release as part of a grand political bargain, with the implication that Barghouti is the political savior of the Palestinians and their ‘desire’ to strike a ‘just peace’ with Israel. ‘Ef that.
I think you’re being rigid in your definition of “moderate,” Meryl. It should be contextual and comparative, and in the Palestinian sense he is a moderate in that he wants to destroy Israel and kill lots of Jews at some point in the future. That’s “moderate” in the Palestinian context.
I see by today’s NY Times that Condoleeza Rice is urging Israel to engage moderate Palestinian leaders. I’m not sure what the Israelis can engage with–the music to be played as they get onto the ships that take them away, perhaps.
I don’t think merely sailing away will satisfy them. Hamas at least supports the ingathering of all Jews to Israel so they can kill them all in one place, rather than having to travel all over the world to achieve this goal.
Maybe that’s what they mean by a moderate Palestinian Arab, one who is willing to let the Jews get away temporarily by leaving Israel. The extremists would be those who want to kill the Jews immediately no matter where they are.