Israel could give Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi 14 years in prison for slapping soldier

An Israeli military court charged teenager Ahed Tamimi when she was filming slapping Israeli soldiers and could face up to 14 years in prison.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

04 January, 2018

Ahed Tamimi could face 14 years of prison [Getty]

Israel's military says a teenage Palestinian girl, who is being hailed as a “national hero” could face up to 14 years in prison after being indicted for allegedly assaulting a pair of Israeli soldiers outside her home.

Ahed Tamimi, 16, was charged this week by an Israeli military court after she was filmed in December pushing, kicking and slapping Israeli soldiers.

Her father said the girl was upset after her 15-year-old cousin was shot in the head with a rubber bullet.

The widely shared video turned Tamimi into a Palestinian hero. In Israel, the footage sparked debate about the soldiers' refusal to act.

The maximum sentence appears unlikely.

Her lawyer, Gaby Lasky, said on Wednesday she doubts such a sentence is likely. She said sentencing for such an offence is usually "much, much lighter."

Tamimi has been lauded as a hero by Palestinians after the December video went viral. The video appears to have been filmed next to the Tamimi house in Nabi Saleh near Ramallah.

The Tamimi family says a relative was shot in the head with a rubber bullet during protests the same day the video was filmed.

The footage shows Tamimi and her cousin approaching two Israeli soldiers and telling them to leave before shoving, kicking and slapping them.

The heavily armed soldiers do not respond in the face of what appears to be an attempt to provoke rather than seriously harm them.

They then move backwards after Tamimi's mother Nariman gets involved.

The incident occurred during a day of clashes across the West Bank against US President Donald Trump's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Violence since Trump's decision has left dozens of Palestinians dead, with most killed in clashes with Israeli forces.

See in pictures: Ahed Tamimi resisting occupation through the years