LONDON: US President Donald Trump should encourage Israel to release Marwan Barghouti after decades of imprisonment, an influential group of global former politicians has said.
The release of Barghouti — consistently the most popular Palestinian leader in opinion polls — would represent an important step toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the group said.
Set up by the late South African President Nelson Mandela in 2007, The Elders is chaired by former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, a Nobel peace laureate.
The group also includes former Irish President Mary Robinson, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Mozambican Minister and freedom fighter Graca Machel.
As well as appealing for Barghouti’s release, The Elders urged renewed pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
