Palestinian teen seen slapping Israeli soldier in viral video is charged with assault
Ahed Tamimi, the 17-year-old Palestinian who was arrested for slapping and kicking an Israeli soldier, was indicted on Monday in a military court.
Ahed Tamimi Photo: YouTube
“Tamimi threw stones at [the soldiers], threatened them, obstructed their ability to fulfill their duty, took part in riots and incited others to take part in them,” the IDF said.
Last month, a video of Tamimi went viral after she was filmed outside of her home pushing, kicking and slapping Israeli soldiers, who maintained their composure and did not retaliate.
The footage of Tamimi, who has been hailed in Palestinian activist circles as an icon, sparked a debate in Israel about the soldiers’ refusal to act. But the IDF praised the soldiers’ restraint in the face of the provocations.
Tamimi, who hails from the village of Nabi Saleh—which is home to around 600 people, most of whom are her family members—has been involved in previous altercations with the IDF. This includes a 2015 incident in which she bit the hand of an Israeli solder as he attempted to arrest her brother, and a 2012 incident for which she won an award in Turkey from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after images of her confronting an IDF soldier went viral.
Ahed’s mother, Nariman Tamimi, was also indicted on Monday by a military court for her involvement in her daughter’s incident as well as for incitement on social media. On Sunday, Ahed’s cousin, Nur Tamimi, was indicted for charges of aggravated assault and for interfering with a soldier on duty.
The military prosecutor asked that Ahed, Nur and Nariman Tamimi be held in custody until the proceedings against them are finished.
JNS.org
