Short answer: No. As of August 2026, Marwan Barghouti has never expressed support for Israel. He is a Fatah/Tanzim leader whom Israel has imprisoned since 2002, convicted in 2004 of orchestrating attacks that killed five Israelis, and he is currently serving five life sentences plus 40 years. He has described Palestinians as having a right to resist Israeli occupation while distinguishing that from attacks on civilians, but he has not condemned Hamas, endorsed Israel, or taken part in any pro-Israel activity, donation, or public event.
What Marwan Barghouti has actually said and done
April 2002: Israeli forces tracked Barghouti's phone and arrested him in the West Bank during the Second Intifada, when he was chief of Fatah's armed Tanzim militia, according to The National.
May 20, 2004: An Israeli court convicted Barghouti of planning and assisting three attacks that killed five Israelis between 2001 and 2002. On June 6 he was sentenced to five life terms plus 40 years, as reported by Encyclopaedia Britannica and confirmed by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
August 15, 2025: Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited Barghouti's cell at Ganot Prison and, on camera, told him, "You won't win... whoever murders our children and women, we will wipe them out." It was the first footage of Barghouti released publicly in years, and Palestinian officials condemned the visit, according to Al Jazeera.
October 8-9, 2025: Mediators, including US envoy Steve Witkoff, had approved a Gaza ceasefire prisoner-release list that included Barghouti, but the Israeli prime minister's office removed his name at the last minute. An Israeli spokesperson said, "at this point in time he will not be part of this release," per Middle East Eye, a detail also reported by Tempo.
October 29, 2025: The Elders, the international group founded by Nelson Mandela, publicly called for Barghouti's release, framing him as a figure who could help spur a two-state solution. The statement, reproduced by the United Nations, noted that Barghouti has said Palestinians have the right to resist occupation but has distinguished that position from attacks on civilians.
April 2026: Barghouti's son said his father could head a "democratic renewal" movement within Fatah and the Palestinian Authority, according to France 24, underscoring his continued role as a Palestinian nationalist political figure.
July 3, 2026: Reports citing Sky News Arabia said Barghouti told his lawyer he intends to run for Palestinian president from his Israeli prison cell if elections are held, and will not withdraw, as reported by Haaretz.
The full picture
Marwan Barghouti is a Palestinian Fatah leader who commanded the Tanzim militia during the Second Intifada. Israeli forces arrested him in April 2002, and an Israeli court convicted him in 2004 of orchestrating attacks that killed five Israelis, sentencing him to five life terms plus 40 years. He remains imprisoned in Israel today, reportedly held in solitary confinement and moved between facilities, with his legal team documenting physical assaults against him.
There is no record of Barghouti supporting Israel, participating in any pro-Israel event, donating to an Israeli or Jewish cause, or declining a boycott of Israel. According to international advocates like The Elders, he has articulated a position that Palestinians have a right to resist Israeli occupation while stating that right does not extend to attacks on civilians. He has not publicly condemned Hamas or the October 7, 2023 attack. He remains widely viewed as the most popular Palestinian political figure in polling, and as of mid-2026 is reportedly weighing a run for Palestinian president from prison. Israel excluded him from the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire prisoner-release list despite mediators initially including his name, and Israeli officials, including Ben Gvir, have treated his continued imprisonment as a red line.
The bottom line
Marwan Barghouti does not support Israel. He is a convicted Fatah/Tanzim militant leader imprisoned by Israel since 2002 for orchestrating fatal attacks on Israelis, remains a prominent voice for Palestinian nationalism, and as of August 2026 is still imprisoned with no pro-Israel statements, actions, or associations on the record.
Wear where you actually stand
Figures like Barghouti make it clear how far apart the two sides of this story really are, which is exactly why so many people choose to say plainly where they stand. Our Support Israel collection includes pieces like the I Stand With Israel bracelet, a simple, everyday way to show solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people.
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Last updated August 2026. We update these profiles as the record changes.
