Some regional stakeholders have likened Barghouti to formerly imprisoned South African anti-apartheid activist-turned-president Nelson Mandela, and view him as a potential successor to Abbas due to his widespread appeal across various Palestinian factions.
While he has expressed support for “armed resistance” against “the Israeli occupation” in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, he has also backed a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders and spoken out against targeting civilians inside Israel proper.