Zack Polanski wears T-shirt in support of convicted Palestinian murderer

Zack Polanski has faced backlash online after he was photographed wearing a t-shirt that held the phrase "free Marwan".

Marwan Barghouti was convicted by an Israeli court in 2004 for his role in directing deadly attacks on Israeli civilians during Palestine’s second intifada.

He led the Tanzim, the armed segment of the Fatah political faction.

Barghouti was found guilty of the murder of four Israelis and a Greek Monk, attempted murder, and belonging to a terrorist organisation and is serving five consecutive life sentences, with an additional 40 years.

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The post of Mr Polanski wearing the shirt on social media received a lot of backlash, to which he responded: “Good. Let’s talk about Marwan Barghouti.

“Imprisoned for 25 years. An Inter-Parliamentary Union report found he was not given a fair trial.

“Nelson Mandela: ‘What is happening to Barghouti is exactly the same as what happened to me.’

“Free Marwan.”

He later told The New Arab: “What really unsettles critics isn't the shirt.

“It's the idea that Palestinians might have a leader capable of uniting their people and leading the fight for liberation from apartheid the same way Nelson Mandela did.

“An Inter-Parliamentary Union observer found that Barghouti's case was so compromised by breaches of international law that it was impossible to conclude he had received a fair trial.”

Leading the criticism of the Green Party leader’s choice was Heidi Bachram, a Brighton-based pro-Israel activist, who wrote on X: “What the hell is Zack Polanski doing wearing a shirt to free the Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti who murdered five civilians.

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“This is TOO FAR.”

Opinion polls have indicated that, despite his imprisonment, Barghouti is the most popular Palestinian leader.

He remains a member of the Fatah Central Committee.

In April, his family claimed that he has been subjected to physical violence in prison.

Arab Barghouti said he was “shocked and appalled” to hear from his faher’s lawyer that he had been assaulted by prison guards three times in March.

He told the BBC: “He's someone who represents hope for unity, for democratic renewal, for a better future for the Palestinian people.

“He's a target because he gives hope to the Palestinian people.”

The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) said that "the allegations made are false and baseless".

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