ISRAELI GOVT. MINISTER: FREE MURDERER SO HE CAN LEAD PALESTINIANS

Barghouti seen leading Palestinians (JTA)
Marwan Barghouti is the next leader of the Palestinian people, a senior Israeli official said. National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said Tuesday that Israel, which jailed Barghouti, a charismatic Fatah lawmaker and terrorist, for life in 2003, should now consider freeing him as means of offsetting the influence of Islamist Hamas.

"Anyone who has the safety of life in Israel in mind knows there is no alternative to releasing Marwan Barghouti because he is the strongest party on the Palestinian side," Ben-Eliezer told Army Radio.

"In my humble opinion, this man will be the next leader of the Palestinians," he added. "For us he is a murderer, but Arafat was no less a murderer than he, and yet Rabin extended his hand to him. We have to think differently and make an effort in this direction."

Ben-Eliezer said any clemency for Barghouti should be conditioned on the release by Hamas of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held hostage in the Gaza Strip since June 2006.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has ruled out releasing Barghouti. But political sources recently revealed that his predecessor, Ariel Sharon, proposed letting the Fatah leader go in exchange for the United States granting an early release to jailed Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard. Washington rebuffed that idea.

Barak denies trial balloon on Barghouti (JPost)
National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer was not speaking on behalf of his political ally, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, when he called for the release of jailed Fatah Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti, Barak's associates said Tuesday.

In return for the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, Ben-Eliezer said, Israel should "take a creative step" and offer to release Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for murder during the intifada.

Ben-Eliezer said he expected Barghouti to be the next Palestinian leader and said Israel could negotiate a peace deal with him.

National Union MK Effi Eitam accused Ben-Eliezer of floating a "trial balloon" on behalf of Barak. He said Ben-Eliezer was using the same strategy as Vice Premier Haim Ramon, who he said tested public opinion on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's behalf when he announced his support for dividing Jerusalem and giving up holy sites in the Old City.

"Fuad [Ben-Eliezer] was not speaking for anyone and does not represent anyone," Ben-Eliezer's spokesman said. "Fuad has known Barghouti for many years, since he was the IDF's coordinator in the territories. He ordered Barghouti's arrest when he was defense minister. They have a history. It's not a trial balloon of Ehud Barak."

A source close to Ben-Eliezer and Barak said Ben-Eliezer had informed both Olmert and Barak of his support for releasing Barghouti before he started talking about it in the media. Asked for Barak's opinion on the issue, Barak's associates said they could not say.

Asked why Hamas, which is holding Schalit, would release Fatah's Barghouti, Ben-Eliezer said Barghouti was respected by top Hamas officials. Hamas demanded in April that Israel release Barghouti as part of any prisoner exchange for Schalit.