Palestinian politician Marwan Barghouti, in closing arguments at his trial in Israel on murder charges, has defended the current uprising on its third anniversary. Journalists followed proceedings via a video screen in an adjoining screen. Barghouthi, who was the leader of Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction in the West Bank, was tipped as a possible successor to the Palestinian president. The 43-year-old was arrested in 2002 and charged with orchestrating ambushes and bombings that killed 26 Israelis. He has denied being involved in violence. Both his lawyer Jawwad Boulos, whom he dismissed after pre-trial arguments, and Israeli government spokesman Daniel Taub heard his statement. Boulos told reporters: "He emphasised that the struggle against occupation is a legitimate thing given to any nation under occupation in history." Taub said: "Mr. Barghouti gave his personal history of the last decade and in particular of the last three years. It was a very selective history, absent from that history was any mention of Palestinian violence whatsoever." Israeli premier Ariel Sharon has ruled out releasing Barghouti under a prisoner exchange with Lebanon-based Hizbollah. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Israeli policemen push Marwan Barghouti, a prominent leader of the Palestinian uprising, onto a police vehicle as they leave Tel Aviv district court Monday, Sept. 29, 2003. (AP Photo/Eitan Hess-Ashkenazi)