Palestinian girl who slapped soldiers is freed
A PALESTINIAN teenager and her mother were released from prison yesterday after serving just over seven months after the girl slapped two Israeli soldiers, an episode captured on video that made her a symbol of resistance.
Ahed Tamimi, 17, and her mother Nariman arrived in their village of Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank, where they were met by crowds of supporters and journalists. “The resistance continues until the fall of the occupation, and, of course, the [female] prisoners in jail are all strong,” Ahed said, her voice barely audible above the crowd. “I thank everyone who supported me.”
Her father Bassem put his arms around her and her mother as they walked together along the road, with the crowd chanting: “We want to live in freedom.”
Ahed later laid flowers at the tomb of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah before meeting Mahmud Abbas, the Palestinian president, who described her as “a model of the struggle for freedom, independence and statehood”.
On Dec 15, Nariman filmed Ahed and her cousin Nour approaching two soldiers in their garden and telling them to leave, before shoving, kicking and slapping them.
All three were arrested four days later and Nour was freed in March.