A convicted felon can run for office in the Palestinian Authority, eh? Not surprising. The entire PA leadership are unrepentant terrorists pretending to be government officials. They are also corrupt individuals who have plundered billions of euros and billions of dollars in aid which has poured into the Palestine Authority for the past twenty years. Instead of maintaining infrastructure in PA-controlled areas, creating jobs and buttressing the educational system, the PA so-called "leadership" have used the funds to line their own pockets. Many have purchased lavish homes in Europe and maintain hefty offshore bank accounts. That is why the Palestinians will never amount to much. Pathetic.

other were terrorists, but barghouti would be a CONVICTED terrorist. other than that, no real difference.

Ian Poulter fired a final round one-over 72 to win the co-sanctioned Singapore Open by one shot on Sunday, the Briton finishing the $5 million event on 10-under 274 after leading from the first day to the last. Barghouti's loss everyting ! that is all !

"a convicted felon"???? Barghouti is more honorable than those Israeli leaders that will be convicted of war crimes at the hague soon.

I told many times Barghouti is an Israeli spy and he was planned as new Israeli president by Mossad I wrote this many times here including most recent talkback http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3796620,00.html In fact current president Abbas came to power from Israeli prison with the same story therefore it is not a novel scheme to emplace a new Israeli spy instead of old worn out.

he planned and perpetrated!

life-in-prison (only because Israel does not apply death sentences!!!) should let go free? I am yet to read or hear a single rational reason.

Barghouti or Abbas will not make a difference. No peace is possible unless both parties (Jews and Arabs) are ready for compromises, which it is not the case for now. 95 % West bank and 100% of Gaza should become Palestine, a non military state, Jerusalem should have a special status. and the palestinian should remounce at all their claims for ever. If this will not happen soon, It will happen in a few decades. It is just a matter of time

That the extreme leftists and Arabs have claimed that Barghouti is about to be released. They seem to think that if they repeat this same moronic chant that the Israeli government will suddenly be willing to end their term and every political party wants to disappear like Labor and Meretz have already done. The fact is he is still in jail and will remain there. No matter if he is elected to any position anywhere in the world and anytime

How are they going to get an oval office in a square cell so Clinton will be comfortable for her planning sessions to give Eretz Israel to Esav?

Hey Marco - did you read the entire Goldstone report? Here it is in black and white, a direct quote: "From the facts available, the Mission finds that the rocket and mortars attacks, launched by Palestinian armed groups in Gaza, have caused terror in the affected communities of southern Israel and in Israel as a whole. Furthermore, it is the Mission's view that the mortars and rockets are uncontrolled and uncontrollable, respectively. This indicates the commission of an indiscriminate attack on the civilian population of southern Israel, a war crime, and may amount to crimes against humanity." This means that Hamas and Fatah leaders will all be on trial. They launched thousands of rockets since 2001, when Fatah was in power. And Goldstone says killing Israeli civilians is a war crime - that means the Palestinians have been carrying out war crimes for decades. In fact, if you get your wish, then there will be no Palestinian leadership left outside of jail to run for president.

What other country in the world would have such an insane 'debate' about whether a convicted murderer sentenced to (real) LIFE improsonment can "run for president" of a hostile entity. Imagine a convicted IRA murderer in life imprisonment in England or the USA running as first minister for the northern Ireland AssemblyP and people discussing it seriously in the media. Yeah , right.

...Israeli's already have the answer. It's b/c welcoming back arafat's exiled band of terrorists from tunis boded so well that they had to release from prison the students of arafats atrocities so as to ensure the exact same thing happens again. It's only natural that a nation turn loose dozens of killers to form a new government inside it's borders without even a 'verbal' embrace for the principles of peace. You cannot try the same thing over and over again and expect a different outcome, that would be 'insane'

Stop being ridiculous -- there are plenty of IRA fighters in the Northern Ireland Assembly, starting from Martin McGuiness who was convicted of bombings, but who is now one of the leaders of the assembly. Don't forget that half of your own presidents were terrorists, the most iconic being Begin, who killed many innocents during his time in the Irgun. Barghouti is nothing compared to him...