AS the Federation of Palestinian Communities in Europe and the Fatah movement in London prepare to screen the film ‘Marwan,’ a biopic telling the life story of the imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi, members of the federation have reported that ‘the Zionist lobby’ in London had attempted to carry out several actions to prevent the film from being screened.
The film, produced by the Ma’an News Network, tells the story of the imprisoned Palestinian leader, who is currently leading a mass hunger strike across Israeli prisons, which entered its 11th day on Thursday.
The federation and members of the Fatah movement in London told Ma’an that several pro-Israel and Zionist lobbies have organised social media campaigns working to prevent the showing of the movie, in addition to arranging protests and marches across the streets of London protesting against the film.
Additionally, the lobbies reserved all tickets for the film on the theater’s website in order to prevent anyone from purchasing tickets to the screening, that was initially scheduled to take place on Friday April 21, but was then rescheduled for April 23.
Sanaa al-Alul, a member of the federation, told Ma’an that the event was intended to be structured as a workshop in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners during which they would host Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) lawyer Jawad Boulos and present the film.
However, following actions from pro-Israel lobbies, the groups were told they were not allowed to use the original venue they booked due to the fact that ‘the administration of the theatre responded to pressure and threats by the Zionist lobby and refused to allow the federation to use the theatre, claiming that the movie promotes terrorism.’
In response, al-Alul told Ma’an that while the groups were currently searching for another theatre to present the film, ‘the federation would not hesitate to present the film in public squares to show the world the suffering of Palestinian prisoners’.
After being detained in 2002, Barghouthi was handed five consecutive life sentences after Israeli authorities charged him with the founding of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, a group Israel designates as a ‘terrorist’ organisation, and being involved in several murders during the Second Intifada – charges he has consistently denied.
He has remained politically active from behind bars, including assisting in the drafting of the Mecca agreement in 2007, which paved the way for a unity government aimed at ending internal political conflict in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Barghouthi remains one of the most popular politicians in Palestine, receiving a wide range of support among various political factions. Many see him as an indispensable component of hope for obtaining a viable peace process and a renewed unification of the Palestinian political landscape.
As a result of the widespread respect held for Barghouthi, the politician was named a strong contender to replace PA President Mahmoud Abbas, as a 2016 poll revealed Barghouthi having more popular support than any other politician as a potential presidential replacement, and the only Fatah member to receive more support than Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh. He was also nominated by several individuals, including leaders of Belgium’s parliament, for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
• ‘Marwan’ was shown on Monday evening, 24 April, at the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, 43 Upper Grosvenor St, Mayfair, London W1K 2NJ. The audience of over 100 mainly Palestinians living in the UK first heard from Palestinian Prisoners Committee lawyer Jawad Boulus.
He said: ‘Now in Palestine, prisoners are having a hunger strike for over eight days now.
‘Lawyers were prevented from visiting. We plan to launch a petition to the Israeli High Court.
‘I have to go back to do my job as a lawyer.’
In answer to questions, he said: ‘International institutions have shown an increasing interest in what is happening in the Middle East.’ But, he added, requests to send investigatory committees ‘have been rejected by the Israeli authorities’.
Asked about the health of the hunger strikers, he said: ‘No prisoner has died under hunger.
‘In the 1980s some died when the Israelis tried to force feed them. Now Israel has legalised forced feeding. It has not been used until this moment. We are calling on doctors in Israel not to effect force feeding. Physicians are still holding this position and resisting.’
‘Marwan’ is a powerful documentary showing just what an inspiring and courageous leader Marwan Barghouthi has been and still is. It opens in 1978 when the Israeli military launched Operation Litani against the PLO in south Lebanon. It quotes PLO leader Yasser Arafat saying: ‘It’s a crime. Being silent is also a crime.’
Palestinian figures interviewed said of Marwan: ‘He liked this generation of young people.’ His wife, Fadwa pointed out that Marwan was occupied ‘building a movement in an organised manner’.
The film follows Barghouthi’s work and inspiration to students at Birzeit University in the West Bank, leading a demonstration against its closure, and the pain of deportation to Jordan.
It emphasised his insistance of ‘building a national movement’.
Marwan is pictured with Arafat, among students and participating in the first Initifada. With the caption 23 March 1987 is seen the arrest and deportation, with Fadwa saying: ‘They told him this is the last time you’ll see your wife and children. The lawyer said we were allowed to visit him and say goodbye.’
The film shows how on his return to Palestine, Marwan was elected to the Fatah leadership, with one Palestinian remarking to camera: ‘The young man dealt with older Palestinian leaders in a courageous way’ and had ‘qualities of leadership. He was very active’.
He was said to believe in Oslo but when that peace agreement came to nothing, Marwan threw himself into the 2nd Intifada giving inspiring leadership. Several Israeli attempts were made to assassinate Barghouthi, and the film shows images of his blown up car and him running out of a compound after a rocket strike on his office. He is seen speaking at the fifth conference of Fatah in 1989, to crowds calling for ‘resistance and jihad’.
As the Israelis were unable to assassinate him, eventually he was arrested and is seen being led from the court defiant in handcuffs. Interviewed Palestinians make the point that Marwan made relations with all Palestinian factions and fought for the national interest for a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Palestinians say: ‘He deserves to be president.’ PNA President Abbas says: ‘It is our duty to free Marwan Barghouthi.’
• Palestinian Christians on Wednesday came out in support of the demands of more than 1500 prisoners in Israeli jails who have been on hunger strike since April 17. A statement by Kairos Palestine, which describes itself as the Palestinian Christian voice, said it ‘expresses its support for the just and humanitarian demands of prisoners – children, women and the sick – and their families.’
It said ‘Kairos deems it intolerable to see prisoners engaged in an all-out hunger strike to obtain basic rights and humanitarian demands that should be granted to them as human beings and are applicable to all under international law.’ The statement said: ‘We view all prisoners as human beings whose dignity is granted by God; no man or occupying power has the right to deprive them of what was granted by God. The norm is freedom and a just peace for them and the entire Palestinian people. It is unjust for the majority of a people to experience detention and imprisonment in occupation prisons because they demand their freedom and dignity. It is time for Israel to review its position and realise that its security does not lie in its prisons but in recognising the freedom and dignity of the Palestinian people.’
It added: ‘In the name of the humanitarian values espoused by every religion, and in the name of Christian values and teachings, we express our support for prisoners as human beings who possess dignity granted to them by their creator. We support them and demand their freedom; we support their humanitarian demands. Prisoners risk their lives with this demanding step of a hunger strike, but it also proves that their demands and stance are justified and sound.
‘Every human being with an active conscience should add their voice to those of the prisoners and demand that the authorities in Israel, Palestine, and the international community find an appropriate humanitarian solution so that no prisoner remains in his cell and no Palestinian is stripped off their freedom and dignity. Our vision is that of every person as a human being whose freedom and dignity are granted by God, including prisoners and persecuted people who most need to enjoy their freedom and dignity.’
• The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) on Wednesday condemned Israeli plans to build 10,000 settlement units in Qalandia, in occupied East Jerusalem. PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi strongly condemned the decision put forward by the Israeli Ministry of Housing and the West Jerusalem municipality, describing it as an affront to the international community and a violation of international law.
‘This decision is a deliberate affront to the international community, a flagrant violation of international law, and a direct blow to peace,’ she said in a statement. Israel’s persistent attempts to expand its illegal settlement enterprise are a blatant mockery of the global rule of law and international norms.
‘Clearly, such an announcement is part of the Israeli government’s plans to annex all of Jerusalem, to erase the Palestinian presence in the city, and to destroy the territorial and demographic contiguity of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem),’ she said.
Ashrawi said the decision attempts to pre-empt the upcoming visit of President Mahmoud Abbas to Washington and his planned meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump. It is evident that Israel is rushing to create facts on the ground before the Abbas-Trump meeting, planned for May 3, she said.
‘The two-state solution is a longstanding policy of the American administration, and Israel should not be given a free hand to subvert US and international efforts to achieve this solution,’ stressed the PLO official. Members of the international community, including the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, are called upon to go beyond symbolic statements and slogans and to undertake their legal, moral and human responsibilities to hold Israel accountable.
‘We also urge UN Secretary-General António Guterres to guarantee respect for UN Security Council resolutions, including UNSC resolution 2334, and to ensure Israeli compliance before it succeeds in totally sabotaging the chances for peace and stability.’