Marwan Barghouti

Marwan Barghouti married his college sweetheart Fadwa Ibrahim in October of 1984. The couple has one daughter named Ruba and three sons named Arab, Sharaf, and Quassam.

Marwan Barghouti was born on June 6, 1959, in a West Bank village named Kobar. He belongs to the Barghouti clan, which hails from Deir Ghassaneh. His father was a migrant worker in Lebanon and he had six siblings.

Marwan was inspired to join the Palestinian resistance at an early age. He joined Fatah at the age of 15.

He quickly made an impact within the group by co-founding the Shabiba, which was the name of the Fatah Youth Movement.

In 1976, he had has first run-in with Israeli authorities. He was arrested for being involved with Palestinian military groups. While in jail he completed his secondary education. He received his high school diploma and became fluent in Hebrew.

In 1983, Marwan continued his education by enrolling at Birzeit University. Due to his arrest and exile, he was not able to receive his degree until 1994.

Marwan Barghouti studies were interrupted in 1987 when he became a major figure in the First Intifada. He became a leader in the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

He was arrested the same year for his involvement and sent to exile in Jordan. He stayed in exile for seven years until the terms of the Oslo Accords in 1994 allowed him to return.

Although he had a track record of leading armed resistance, Marwan always maintained a strong support of a peaceful solution. He was mistrustful of Israel's motives as he did not believe they would agree to the formation of Palestine.

He began his career in politics when he was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 1996. After his election to the Legislative Council, he strongly voiced his opinion in the favor of an independent Palestinian State.

He was an opponent of Yasser Arafat and strongly opposed the corruption and human rights violations within his administration. He also built strong relations with several Israeli politicians during his time as Secretary-General of Fatah.

Marwan Barghouti's most significant contribution was his life-long dedication to fighting for Palestinian independence. His blend of military tactics and diplomatic tact earned him support from Israeli politicians, which is something no other Palestinian leader accomplished.

In December of 2005, he split from Fatah and formed Al-Mustaqbal. His strategy was to gain support of the Palestinian youth and work towards peace. Unfortunately, this party never reached its full potential due to Marwan's imprisonment.