Unlike Arafat and his fellow exiles, Barghouti, the most prominent leader among the Young Guard, grew up under Israeli occupation, and was arrested and detained several times. Barghouti’s popularity also stems from his refusal from the beginning to take any office in Arafat’s corrupt PA and its institutions.
与阿拉法特及其流亡追随者们不同的是，巴尔古提--少壮派最居威望的领导人，自小在以色列的军事占领下成长，曾多次被捕监禁。由于他认为阿拉法特的巴解组织及其机构营私舞弊、涉嫌腐败，因此从一开始就拒绝该组织中任职，这一点为他赢得不少人气。