Corbyn praised convicted terrorist as ‘ambassador for peace’ in 2004
Labour leader hailed Palestinian Marwan Barghouti as being a figure who 'will eventually bring about peace'
Jeremy Corbyn praised a convicted terrorist as an “ambassador for peace” in a parliamentary motion, an investigation by an Israeli media outlet has revealed.
The Labour leader hailed the head of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, Marwan Barghouti, in two Early Day Motions (EDM) in 2004.
In 2004, Marwan Barghouti was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences by a judge over connections to a wave of terror attacks and membership of a terrorist group, during the second intifada.
Following a probe by Israeli TV station and website i24News, it was discovered that Corbyn sponsored at least five EDMs demanding his release.
In a 2007 address, Corbyn’s “endorse[d] the call that has been made for the release of Marwan Barghouti”, adding he’d “be part of a dialogue that will eventually bring about peace and justice for the Palestinian people”.
The earliest EDM was signed by 33 Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs in 2002, while a 2004 motion demanded his “immediate release”.
The current Labour leader and other MPs praised him as an “ambassador for peace” who had “campaigned tirelessly for the implementation of the peace process”, despite I24News revealing that Corbyn deleted an article on his website from 2004, saying Barghouti “gave up on the Oslo peace process”.
A Labour spokesperson told the site: “Jeremy has a long and principled record of solidarity with the Palestinian people and engaging with actors in the conflict to support peace and justice in the Middle East. That is the right thing to do.”
The revelation over Barghouti comes after they revealed this week, that Corbyn was involved in a visit to Jerusalem in 2010, where he met Hamas members, but failed to declare the trip in the parliamentary register of interests.
Corbyn said he could not remember having dinner with Hamas chief Khaled Mashal in Gaza in 2010 despite reports of him recounting such a meeting in a column for the Morning Star newspaper.
He was also criticised over a 2014 visit to a Palestinian cemetery in Tunisia where he allegedly paid respects to terrorists who perpetrated the Munich attacks, and meetings with those connected to the Palestinian cause.
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