Lawyers for a Palestinian teenager filmed slapping and kicking an Israeli soldier last year have agreed a plea bargain that will see the 17-year old serve a year in prison.
Ahed Tamimi, who was indicted in December on five counts of assault against security forces, including stone-throwing, will serve another eight months in jail, having been behind bars for four already. Other charges include participating in riots and inciting others to do the same.
She was filmed by her mother slapping and kicking Israeli soldiers near her home in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh.
It has gone widely unreported that after the assault, filmed by her mother Nariman on Facebook Live, Ahed called on viewers to “unite to liberate Palestine”, stating that “whether it is stabbings or martyrdom operations or throwing stones, everyone must do his part and we must unite in order for our message to be heard that we want to liberate Palestine”.
Ahed and her family are well-known for provoking Israeli forces on a regular basis in the Palestinian village, filming the altercations and sharing footage online.
She has agreed to plead guilty to incitement, assault, and two offences of obstructing a police officer in the performance of his duty.
Ahed’s mother, Nariman, will serve an eight month prison sentence and pay a fine of 6,000 shekels (£1,200) for her role in the incident and for inciting others via Facebook to carry out terrorist attacks.
Her aunt, Ahlam Tamimi, planned a suicide bombing in a pizzeria in Jerusalem in August 2001, killing 15 people including seven children and a pregnant woman. Ahlam drove the suicide bomber to the restaurant and received multiple life sentences, but was released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange. She has expressed pride in her role in the operation and is a source of pride for the family.
