Barghouti: '67 borders would end conflict

JERUSALEM, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Jailed former Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti said Wednesday the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will end if Israel withdraws to the 1967 boundaries.

"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will end once Israel withdraws to the 1967 lines," Barghouti told Ynetnews.com.

He appeared Wednesday in court in a lawsuit filed by the family of Esther Kleinman, who was killed in a shooting attack near Ramallah in 2002. The family alleges Barghouti was directly involved in the shooting, which came while he headed Fatah's militant faction, the Tanzim.

Barghouti, who remains popular among the Palestinian public, had been arrested in 2003 anti-Israeli attacks and was convicted in 2004 of five counts of murder and several counts of conspiracy to commit murder as well as aiding and abetting terror activities.

Hamas had demanded his release as part of the prisoner-exchange deal that led to the release of kidnapped Israeli army soldier Gilad Shalit but Israel refused.

Asked if he would run for a parliamentary seat in the next Palestinian elections, Barghouti said: "The PA has yet to declare the elections. Once they do we'll see. … We have to form a national unity government and pursue peaceful resistance."

Barghouti said Arab Spring protests would help Palestinians.

"The results of the revolutions in the Arab world are bound to be good for the Palestinian people," he said. "The Palestinians will enjoy better support for their peaceful resistance."

While he appeared in court, Barghouti refused to testify, saying he does not recognize the authority of the Israeli court.