Ahed Tamimi, the Palestinian teen who generated international headlines for slapping and kicking Israeli soldiers late last year, has been sentenced to eight months in jail by an Israeli military court.
According to her Israeli lawyer, Gaby Lasky, Tamimi agreed to the plea deal, in which she admitted that she assaulted the Israeli soldiers. This allowed her to avoid more serious charges that could have landed her in prison for years. The sentence also includes a $1,400 fine.
“No justice under occupation, and we are in an illegal court,” Tamimi said to reporters in court.
Along with her mother and cousin, Tamimi was arrested last December a few days after being filmed slapping and pushing IDF soldiers in her West Bank village of Nebi Saleh.
Tamimi’s mother, who was charged with incitement, also reached a plea deal with prosecutors for an eight-month suspended prison sentence and a fine. Ahed’s cousin received a 16-day sentence with time served and a suspended sentence as part of the plea deal.
While some praised the soldiers for their restraint during the December incident, others said it embarrassed the Israeli military and called for a harsh punishment for Tamimi. At the same time, the incident also generated international criticism against Israel for its policies towards the Palestinians.
Tamimi’s village of Nabi Saleh has long been a hotbed of anti-Israel protests, with many of her family members involved in clashes with Israeli forces. In February, Israeli security forces arrested 10 Palestinian residents of the village, including a cousin of Tamimi, “for the increase in the number of riots and popular terrorist acts coming from the village.”
