Israel ends isolation of jailed Palestinian leader

Israeli authorities decided today to let a jailed Palestinian revolt leader out of his isolation cell on Wednesday in what appeared…

Israeli authorities decided today to let a jailed Palestinian revolt leader out of his isolation cell on Wednesday in what appeared to be a goodwill gesture ahead of Palestinian elections, security sources said.

They said Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra told the Prisons Service to move Marwan Barghouthi, who is serving five life terms after being convicted of orchestrating Palestinian militant attacks, to be moved in with other security inmates.

It was not immediately clear when the order would be implemented at Ohalei Keidar prison in southern Israel. Barghouthi has been held in isolation since he was seized in an Israeli military sweep of the West Bank in 2002.

A Palestinian lawmaker once touted as Yasser Arafat's successor, had considered running in presidential elections on Sunday but later withdrew.

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Tomorrow, Israel's High Court of Justice is to hear a petition to allow thousands of Palestinian security prisoners to be allowed to take part in the vote, the first in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 1996.

Should permission be granted, Barghouthi could help sway the many of the prisoners, who include Islamists who rival the mainstream Palestinian Authority and opposed peace talks with Israel, in favour of Mahmoud Abbas.