Israel charges Palestinian teen in viral ‘slap video’
OFER MILITARY PRISON, Palestinian Territories: Israel charged a Palestinian teenager with 12 counts including assault following her arrest after a video of her slapping and kicking two Israeli soldiers in the West Bank went viral.
Ahed Tamimi, 16, has been hailed as a hero by Palestinians who see her as bravely standing up to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.
Israelis accuse her family of using her as a pawn in staged provocations.
The charges filed with an Israeli military court relate to the events in the video but also five other incidents and include stone-throwing, incitement and making threats.
She could face a lengthy jail term if convicted.
Five charges were also filed against her mother Nariman and on Sunday her cousin Nour, 20, was indicted as well.
The accusations against Nariman Tamimi include using Facebook “to incite others to commit terrorist attacks” and participating in the incident on video, the army said in a statement.
Ahed Tamimi and her mother have been ordered to remain in custody until at least Jan 8, when another hearing will be held.
Prosecutors are requesting that they be kept in detention until the completion of their trial.
Nour Tamimi is to be released on bail of 5,000 shekels (US$1,400, 1,200 euros) on Tuesday afternoon barring an appeal by prosecutors, said the Tamimis’ lawyer, Gaby Lasky.
Ahed Tamimi’s family says the Dec 15 incident that led to the arrests occurred in the yard of their home in Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah.
Israel’s military said the soldiers were in the area to prevent Palestinians from throwing stones at Israeli motorists nearby.
A video shows the cousins approaching two Israeli soldiers and telling them to leave before shoving, kicking and slapping them.
Ahed Tamimi is the most aggressive of the two in the video.
The heavily armed soldiers do not respond in the face of what appears to be an attempt to provoke rather than seriously harm them.
They then move somewhat backwards after Nariman Tamimi becomes involved.
Ahed Tamimi, arrested in the early hours of Dec 19, has been involved in a series of previous incidents, with older pictures of her confronting soldiers widely published. — AFP