TEL AVIV, Israel – Israel's far-right national security minister posted a video Friday that shows him admonishing an imprisoned Palestinian leader in a face-to-face meeting inside a prison, saying Israel will confront anyone who acts against the country and “wipe them out.”
It remained unclear when the video, which was posted on X, was filmed. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is known for staging provocative encounters with Palestinians.
The Palestinian leader, Marwan Barghouti is serving five life sentences after being convicted of involvement in attacks at the height of the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, in the early 2000s. He was arrested more than two decades ago and polls consistently show he is the most popular Palestinian leader – some Palestinians even see him as their Nelson Mandela.
In his video, Ben-Gvir is seen telling Barghouti that he will “not win.”
“Anyone who messes with the people of Israel, anyone who murders our children, anyone who murders our women, we will wipe them out,” Ben-Gvir says.
The 13-second video shows Barghouti, appearing older and more gaunt, standing in a white T-shirt, his hands at times crossed in front of him. He doesn't seem to be shackled and utters a few words as Ben-Gvir speaks but they are inaudible. Images of Barghouti have not been seen in several years.
Ben-Gvir's spokesman confirmed the visit and the video's authenticity, but denied the minister was threatening Barghouti.
The United Nations' spokesperson called the video “disturbing.” Asked about it during a news conference Friday, Stéphane Dujarric said Barghouti “needs to have his rights fully respected, and his safety needs to be ensured.”
During the intifada, Barghouti, now in his mid-60s, was a senior leader in President Mahmoud Abbas' secular Fatah movement. Many Palestinians see him as a natural successor to the aging and unpopular leader of the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israel considers him a terrorist and has shown no sign it would release him in any prisoner exchanges. Hamas has demanded his release in return for hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
In a Facebook post, Barghouti's wife said she couldn't recognize her husband, who appears frail in the video. Still, she said after watching the footage that he remains connected to the Palestinian people.
“Perhaps a part of me does not want to acknowledge everything that your face and body shows, and what you and the prisoners have been through,” wrote Fadwa Al Barghouthi, who spells their last name differently in English.
Israeli officials say they have reduced the conditions under which Palestinians are held to the bare minimum allowed under Israeli and international law. Many detainees released as part of ceasefire deals in Gaza earlier this year had appeared gaunt and ill, and some were taken for immediate medical treatment.
