Ro Khanna calls on Israel to release Marwan Barghouti: 'Palestinians must choose their own leaders'

SEPTEMBER 25, 2026 21:25US Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna called on Israel to release imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, arguing that Palestinians should be allowed to choose their own leadership and that Barghouti could play a role in a future Israeli-Palestinian peace process."Today I'm calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison. Palestinians must choose their own leaders," Khanna said. He described Barghouti as having "a unique standing among all Palestinian factions" and said he is viewed as "non-corrupt, a strong leader, and secular."Khanna went further, arguing that "Barghouti could deliver a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel," and noted that some former senior Israeli security officials have also supported his release.The remarks come as Khanna, a progressive Democrat representing California's 17th Congressional District in Silicon Valley, seeks to elevate his foreign-policy profile while openly weighing a possible 2028 presidential run.US Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) is interviewed by Reuters during a visit to Turmus Ayya, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, July 9, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)During a visit to the West Bank in July, Khanna told Reuters that he was "strongly considering" a presidential bid. He also sharply criticized Israeli policy toward Palestinians during the trip, including using the term "apartheid" to describe conditions in the West Bank — a characterization Israel rejects.US rep. says Fatah member Barghouti can help with Israel-Palestinian conflictKhanna stressed that he was not seeking to erase Barghouti's past or absolve him of responsibility."Releasing Barghouti does not provide him with a pardon or moral absolution of crimes he may have committed," he said, while adding that some human-rights organizations have challenged the fairness of Barghouti's trial.He argued, however, that Barghouti's release could be necessary to advance diplomacy, drawing comparisons to past peace processes involving former adversaries.Khanna cited Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin, and also invoked Northern Ireland, saying that although the IRA "did terrible things," allowing former combatants to participate in politics became part of the peace process once they embraced political coexistence. He said Barghouti had repeatedly expressed a similar vision."If we're lucky enough to have a just peace in Israel-Palestine, we will need a truth and reconciliation commission," Khanna said. "But for now, we must begin to give Palestinians a voice in their sovereignty and the peace process. Release Barghouti."Barghouti, a senior Fatah figure, has been imprisoned in Israel since the Second Intifada. An Israeli court sentenced him in 2004 to five life terms over his role in attacks that killed Israelis. Barghouti rejected the authority of the Israeli court and has long denied responsibility for attacks on civilians.Despite nearly a quarter-century behind bars, he remains one of the most prominent figures in Palestinian politics and is frequently discussed as a possible successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. President Donald Trump himself said last year that he was considering whether to urge Israel to release Barghouti as Washington examined possible postwar Palestinian leadership arrangements.Recent Palestinian polling underscores Barghouti's political weight. An August survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that, in a hypothetical presidential race among likely voters, Barghouti would receive 54% support, compared with 26% for Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and 14% for Abbas. Palestinian presidential elections are currently expected in early 2027.Khanna issued the call during the week of the UN General Assembly in New York, as the Palestinian issue again features prominently in international diplomacy and debate intensifies over the shape of future Palestinian political leadership.Khanna has increasingly positioned himself among Democrats calling for a reassessment of longstanding US policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. His latest statement places him among the most prominent American lawmakers to explicitly call for Barghouti's release.Follow us on Google