The New York Times interviewed Zakaria Zubeidi, Israel says was involved in murdering six Israelis, opened a Palestinian children's theatre and was released from prison in a hostage deal: 'We need to reconsider our tools'
Zakaria Zubeidi, a Palestinian militant who rose to prominence during the Second Intifada and was released from Israeli prison in January as part of the hostage-prisoner exchange, told The New York Times in a Tuesday interview about what he saw as the futility of Palestinian resistance for statehood.
A symbol of Palestinian resistance himself, Zubeidi was a senior member of Fatah, Hamas' chief rival in the West Bank, which Israel says was involved in several terror attacks, including the attack on a Likud party office in Beit She'an in 2002, in which six people were killed. He denies being involved in any murder, and wasn't convicted before being released from prison.
After accepting an amnesty agreement from Israel in 2007, Zubeidi channeled his resistance to Israel through Jenin's Freedom Theater, which was established to teach Palestinian children and teens acting and to help them express themselves through art.
Speaking to The New York Times from Ramallah, Zubeidi – who is currently enrolled in a PhD program in Israel Studies at the local Birzeit University – seemed to question the path forward for Palestinian resistance.
