The Free Marwan campaign has found a new way to market an old demand: package it with Marvel actors.
More than 200 public figures had already called for the release of Marwan Barghouti, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, and Ian McKellen. But the campaign recently reframed the petition around actors connected to Marvel, with more than 20 names promoted under that banner.
That branding matters because it risks turning a convicted terrorist into a celebrity cause.
Barghouti is often described by supporters as a Palestinian political leader or even compared to Nelson Mandela. But in 2004, an Israeli court convicted him of five murders, attempted murder, and membership in a terrorist organization. He was sentenced to five life terms plus another 40 years.
Actors are free to sign petitions. But audiences deserve to know what they are supporting.
This is not simply a campaign for a “political prisoner.” It is a campaign calling for the release of a man convicted for deadly terrorist attacks that murdered civilians.
Hollywood names do not erase that record. And Marvel branding does not turn a convicted terrorist into a hero.
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© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
