Girl who slapped Israeli soldiers charged

JERUSALEM: Israeli authorities have filed charges against a Palestinian woman after a video showing her and her cousin slapping and kicking two Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank went viral.

Nour Tamimi, 20, and Ahed Tamimi, 16, had on December 15 accosted two soldiers in their village of Nabi Saleh.

The soldiers were in the yard of a home to prevent Palestinians from throwing stones at Israeli motorists nearby, according to the charges filed at the Ofer military court on Sunday.

Ah ed Tami mi’ s family says the incident occurred in the yard of their home.

A video shows the cousins approaching two Israeli soldiers and telling them to leave before shoving, kicking and slapping them.

Ahed Tamimi is the more aggressive of the two in the video. The heavily armed soldiers do not respond in the face of what appears to bean attempt to provoke rather than seriously harm them.

They then move backwards after Ahed Tamimi’s mother Nar- iman becomes involved. Nour Tamimi, who was arrested on December 20, was charged with aggravated assault of a soldier and disturbing soldiers carry out their duties, the indictment read.

US VICE PRESIDENT’ S ISRAEL TRIP POSTPONED

Israel’s foreign ministry said an expected visit by US vice president Mike Pen ce appears to have been postponed again.

Pence was scheduled to visit last month. The official reason for the delay was the Senate tax vote. But it also followed region-wide uproar over President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

At the time, the White House said Pence would instead visit Israel during the week of Jan. 14. But on Monday, the Foreign Ministry said Pence is not scheduled to visit this month.

“The visit is not included in our provision of scheduled visits of high-level dignitaries in January ,” said spokesman Em manuel Nahshon. Nahshon gave no reason for the apparent delay, and said there was no date for an expected visit. AGENCIES