Some scoffed when Donald Trump thought to tap Tony Blair’s decades of involvement in the Middle East for his future plans in Gaza. Perhaps they were right to. But not to worry: the global search for strategic wisdom has now been resolved. The path to peace lies not through seasoned statesmen or regional experts, but through the collective judgment of Delia Smith, Stephen Fry, Benedict Cumberbatch, and naturally, Gary Lineker. They are joined by Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Simon Pegg and a list of figures known for their contributions to film, fiction, and light entertainment: people with no background or expertise in jihadist Islamic terror movements, counter-extremism, Middle Eastern politics, or international law. Together, they have issued a letter calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison.

The letter, signed by more than two hundred ‘cultural personalities’, declares ‘grave concern’ at Barghouti’s continued incarceration, asserting that he has been denied due legal process and must be freed. The implication is clear: here is the Palestinian Mandela, wrongly jailed, broadly beloved, and uniquely placed to lead his people toward peace.

This is the uncomfortable truth that Western petitioners refuse to admit

But the comparison cannot withstand scrutiny. Barghouti is not serving a political sentence. He is serving five life terms plus forty years for a series of violent crimes that left five civilians dead and many more endangered. His conviction was not for speaking out or holding office, but for directing lethal attacks carried out by bloodthirsty, religiously motivated terrorists under his authority.

In June 2001, a Greek Orthodox monk named Father Germanos Tsibouktsakis was driving near Ma’ale Adumim when gunmen opened fire on his car, having mistaken it for an Israeli civilian vehicle. The Tanzim cell responsible for the shooting was under Barghouti’s command. Weeks later, Yoela Chen was killed at a petrol station near Givat Ze’ev – an attack in which Barghouti was also implicated.

The most........

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