Israeli treatment of teen included threats, coercion
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The family of prominent Palestinian protester Ahed Tamimi on Monday released excerpts from a video in which an Israeli interrogator threatens the then-16-year-old with the arrest of her relatives if she refuses to cooperate.
The interrogator also comments on her body, fair skin and “eyes of an angel.”
The interrogator, identified as an agent of the Israeli military intelligence branch, at times moves within inches of the teenager, who doesn’t respond and repeatedly asserts her right to remain silent.
The Israeli military said a complaint of improper conduct on the part of the investigator, filed by Tamimi’s lawyer, has been handed to the Justice Ministry and is being “thoroughly examined.”
Ahed’s father, Bassem, told reporters that the video is evidence of Israel’s failure to break his daughter. He portrayed Tamimi, who has become an icon to Palestinians, as a symbol of resistance to Israel’s 51-year-old military occupation. Her silence under pressure shows that “we are not victims, we are fighters for the cause of freedom of our people,” he said.
A West Bank-based rights group said a majority of minors have reported being verbally abused, intimidated or humiliated in Israeli custody.
Tamimi is serving an eightmonth prison term — the result of a plea deal — for slapping and kicking two Israeli soldiers outside her West Bank home in mid-December.
The teen’s arrest and fullthrottle prosecution by Israel garnered international attention. It also has touched on broader issues, such as Israel’s detention of Palestinian minors — currently 356, according to Israeli figures — and the debate on what constitutes legitimate resistance to Israel’s rule over millions of Palestinians.
Her supporters see a brave girl who struck the soldiers in anger after having just learned that Israeli troops seriously wounded a 15-year-old cousin. In Israel, she is seen either as a naive youth manipulated by her elders or a threat to Israel’s military deterrence.
The interrogation video was part of the case file handed to the defense after Tamimi was indicted, said Israeli activist Jonathan Pollak, who helps coordinate her legal strategy.
Tamimi’s lawyer filed a complaint with the military’s judge advocate general over the interrogation tactics, including apparent threats, coercion and sexual innuendo, said Pollak.
Under Israeli military law, minors can consult with a lawyer before an interrogation, but don’t have the right to representation during questioning.