Palestinian icon Marwan Barghouti to release new book

• Marwan Barghouti, the highly popular Palestinian leader, is set to release a comprehensive collection of his writings titled Unbroken: In Pursuit of Freedom for Palestine via Penguin on November 5, 2026, documenting his 30-year political and personal journey.
• Despite enduring solitary confinement and reported physical assaults in ‘Israeli’ custody, Barghouti remains the most favored candidate for future Palestinian leadership, with international figures and groups intensifying calls for his release to bridge political divides.

Marwan Barghouti, the prominent Palestinian political figure known as "Palestine's Mandela" by supporters, is set to publish a new book from his ‘Israeli’ prison cell.

Titled Unbroken: In Pursuit of Freedom for Palestine, the work is scheduled for release by Penguin on November 5, 2026.

The book comprises a comprehensive collection of Barghouti's writings spanning the past three decades, including private prison letters to his family, correspondence with public figures, press interviews, public statements, historical documents, and photographs.

It also incorporates excerpts from his earlier Arabic-only publication, 1,000 Days in Solitary Confinement, offering readers an intimate glimpse into his personal and political experiences.

Barghouti, born in 1959 in the West Bank village of Kobar, rose to prominence as a Fatah party member and advocate for Palestinian unity and a two-state solution.

He was an elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council when arrested by ‘Israeli’ forces in Ramallah in 2002. Convicted by an ‘Israeli’ court on charges of orchestrating attacks that killed five during the Second Intifada—charges he has denied—the trial has been criticized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union for violating international law, including the Geneva Conventions.

Despite his imprisonment, Barghouti remains the most popular Palestinian politician according to successive polls in Gaza and the West Bank, transcending factional divides between Fatah and Hamas.

Supporters view him as a potential unifying leader for a future Palestinian state, capable of bridging internal divisions and advancing peace negotiations.

‘Israeli’ authorities, however, have repeatedly refused his release, citing security concerns amid fears he could galvanize broader Palestinian support.

Recent international campaigns have intensified calls for Barghouti's freedom, with a major initiative launched in November 2025 featuring demonstrations, public art in cities like London, and endorsements from over 200 cultural figures, including Margaret Atwood and Javier Bardem.

The Elders, a group founded by Nelson Mandela, also advocated for his release in October 2025 as a step toward reviving a two-state solution.

Barghouti's prison conditions have drawn significant concern, with reports of multiple assaults since the assault on Gaza began, including seven documented incidents as of December 2025.

He has endured extended solitary confinement, limited family visits—none in three years as of late 2025—and restricted access for lawyers and the International Committee of the Red Cross, actions deemed violations of international law.

In August 2025, ‘Israeli’ National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly taunted him in leaked footage, underscoring the harsh treatment.