In 2004, an Israeli court convicted Marwan Barghouti on five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Among his victims was a Greek Orthodox monk. The court handed down five consecutive life sentences plus additional prison time.

This week, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) announced he wants Barghouti released.

"I am calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison," Khanna said, arguing that the convicted terrorist "has a unique standing among all Palestinian factions" and is "seen as non-corrupt, a strong leader, and secular."

Non-corrupt. Strong leader. Secular. Five life sentences for murder. Quite the résumé.

Khanna went further, suggesting Barghouti's release wasn't about excusing what he did but about moving the process forward. "Releasing Barghouti does not provide him with a pardon or moral absolution of crimes he may have committed," the congressman said. "In fact, a number of human rights groups say he did not even receive a fair trial. But the release is needed to move peace forward, just like Arafat and Rabin worked for peace despite their pasts."

Notice the sleight of hand. "Crimes he may have committed." A court didn't say "may." A court convicted him. Five times over. But Khanna slides in "may" like it's a parking ticket under dispute instead of a murder conviction.

Then came the comparison that tells you everything about where this congressman's head is. "The Irish Republic Army, the IRA, did terrible things in its war against British and Protestant domination," Khanna said. "But when the IRA said they had a vision of equality and coexistence, letting them participate in politics was the right decision. Barghouti has said exactly that, repeatedly."

So the argument is: a man convicted of murdering five people, including a monk, says he wants peace now. And we should take him at his word. Because the IRA eventually came around, a terror leader serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison should get to walk out the front door and run for office.

Rep. Khanna framed Barghouti as someone who "could deliver a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel." The man has been in prison for over two decades. His contribution to peace so far has been the five graves he helped fill.

The broader pattern here is familiar. A sitting United States congressman isn't just expressing sympathy for Palestinians. He's specifically advocating for the release of a man convicted of terrorism and multiple murders, and dressing it up in the language of diplomacy. The word "peace" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in Khanna's statement. It has to carry five murder convictions, a failed trial objection, and a comparison to the IRA, all without buckling.

Khanna represents California's 17th congressional district. His constituents include Silicon Valley. His job is to legislate on behalf of American citizens. Instead, he's spending his week publicly lobbying for the freedom of a foreign national convicted of killing five people, on the theory that the killer might be a good politician someday.