Knesset member Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al) has filed a lawsuit with the High Court against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Tibi alleges that Ben Gvir is preventing him from meeting with Marwan Barghouti, the leader of the Palestinian terrorist organization Tanzim, who is serving multiple life sentences in an Israeli prison.
Tibi is seeking a court order to stop Minister Ben Gvir from interfering in visits to prisoners, arguing that it's beyond the minister's authority. He also points out that lawmakers are allowed to visit Jewish prisoners, so barring a meeting with Barghouti amounts to discrimination.
After October 7 and the eruption of the war in Gaza, Minister Ben Gvir ordered stricter conditions for holding terrorists in prisons. This included reducing their permitted visits, removing televisions from their cells, and putting them on a vegetarian diet. An investigation was launched against a guard who delivered a meat lunch to Marwan Barghouti.
In February, Barghouti was moved from Ofer prison to Ayalon prison due to his active incitement efforts behind bars, advocating for a "third intifada."
Recently, Barghouti's name has surfaced as a potential leader of a future Palestinian state on the "Arab street." Reports from the Arab press suggest that Egypt and Qatar are urging the United States to pressure Israel for Barghouti's release.
In Cairo and Doha, there's a push for Barghouti, who holds significant popularity among Palestinians, to lead a new Palestinian Authority. In exchange, Israel is asked to consider allowing some residents of the Gaza Strip to enter Egypt. However, Israel has firmly rejected the idea of releasing Barghouti, citing his involvement in attacks against Israelis.
