Khaleej Times

Ahed, symbol of Palestinia­n resistance, to be released today

-

ramallah — A Palestinia­n teenager jailed by Israel for slapping and kicking Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank is to go free on Sunday after eight months behind bars.

Ahed Tamimi was arrested on December 19, days after she was recorded on video with her cousin Nour Tamimi in the yard of their home in Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, telling two soldiers to leave, then shoving, kicking and slapping them.

She was aged 16 at the time and turned 17 in prison.

She was refused bail throughout her detention and subsequent trial in an Israeli military court on charges including assault, stonethrow­ing, incitement to violence and making threats. On March 21 the court agreed a plea bargain giving her an eight-month sentence including time already spent in custody.

The same court hearing freed Nour Tamimi immediatel­y, when she accepted a plea deal.

Ahed comes from a family of prominent activists and has been involved in a series of previous incidents, with pictures of her confrontin­g soldiers widely published.

But the December video went viral and turned her into a symbol of the Israeli-Palestinia­n conflict.

For Palestinia­ns she is a hero, jailed for standing up to soldiers occupying her land and intruding upon her family home.

To many Israelis she personifie­s how Palestinia­ns encourage their children to hate and how they try to

manipulate the media. This week an Italian artist daubed a 14-foot image of her face and curly reddish hair on the Israeli separation wall in the occupied West Bank.

On Sunday she is expected to step back into the spotlight at a scheduled press conference at her home after her release. When the

video was originally published, many Israelis saw it as a symbol of the restraint displayed by their army.

As Ahed and Nour pummel the soldiers the two cousins simultaneo­usly film the scene on their phones, apparently seeking to provoke them. —

 ?? AFP file ?? Ahed Tamimi (second right) arrives for the beginning of her trial at Ofer military prison in West Bank. —
AFP file Ahed Tamimi (second right) arrives for the beginning of her trial at Ofer military prison in West Bank. —

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Arab Emirates