Donald Trump recently declared that “the decision to release Marwan Barghouti is in his hands” and that “the Palestinians have no clear leader at this time.” His words, laced with political arrogance, reflect the persistent colonial vision of those who believe they can decide the fate of Palestine. However, amid his arrogant tone, there is a truth that even he cannot hide: the centrality of Marwan Barghouti as the undisputed leader of the Palestinian people.
That a former US president—a historic ally of Zionism—mentioned Barghouti's name and spoke of his possible release confirms that the imprisoned Palestinian leader transcends the prisons of the occupier and projects himself as a symbol of unity, dignity, and resistance.
Trump, perhaps unintentionally, has recognized the moral and political strength of a man loved by his people and respected throughout the world. Because speaking of Barghouti is speaking of the right of peoples to free themselves from oppression.
UPAL recognizes that, although Trump's words come from the arrogance of someone who believes himself the arbiter of another's destiny, they also reveal an unavoidable fact: the freedom of Palestine is embodied in the faces of its prisoners, and in them is reflected the future of an entire nation.
Marwan Barghouti doesn't need Trump to decide for him; his leadership is born from the occupied land, from the suffering and hope of millions. But if this gesture serves to remind the world of his existence and his example, then even the words of the powerful serve—unwittingly—the cause of the oppressed.
Palestinian Union of Latin America - UPAL
.....................
End/ 257
Your Comment