The Jordanian government has asked Israel to release Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah terrorist who is serving five life terms in an Israeli prison for his involvement in deadly terror attacks against Israelis.

According to a report in the Jordanian Petra news agency, the kingdom’s Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications, Rakan Majali, on Thursday urged Israel to release Barghouti and all other prisoners.

Majali, who is also the government spokesman, asked the Israeli authorities to remove all obstacles hindering the movement of Palestinian people and goods.

Petra noted that the minister made the remarks during a meeting with Barghouti´s wife, Fadwa Barghouthi, during which he reiterated Jordan´s keenness to support “the steadfastness of Palestinian people and their right to establish their independent state.”

The minister added that Jordan considers the release of Barghouti and other Palestinian Authority Arab prisoners a good gesture by Israel towards the peace process.

Barghouti recently said the Israeli-Arab conflict will only come to an end when Israel withdraws to the pre-1967 lines. He also applauded the Arab Spring revolutions saying they would “benefit the Palestinian people and their just cause.”

He was later sent into isolation as punishment for granting the interviews to Israeli and foreign journalists, in which he made these comments, when he appeared in a Jerusalem court.

Recent reports said that the Obama administration is trying to convince Israel to release Barghouti, since it views him as its preferred candidate for Fatah to field against Hamas in Palestinian Authority elections. (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 02/24/12)