A teenage Palestinian girl who was filmed slapping two occupying Israeli soldiers was sentenced to eight months in prison under a plea bargain.
Ahed Tamimi, 17, became a hero to Palestinians and Muslims worldwide after a viral video emerged of her slapping, punching and kicking two Israeli soldiers at the entrance to her home in the village of Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank.
She was 16 at the time of the incident.
Her lawyer, Gaby Lasky, said she is also being fined 5,000 shekels (£1,000).
Tamimi told journalists in court that there is “no justice under occupation and we are in an illegal court.”
When her trial began last month, the teenager faced 12 charges, including aggravated assault, but eight were dropped as part of a plea deal.
Tamimi was denied bail ahead of the military trial, which took place behind closed doors.
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With time in remand taken into account, Tamimi will remain in prison for a further five months.
Her case sparked criticism from right-wing Israelis, who said the occupying military looked weak for allowing a Palestinian teenager to hit a soldier and an officer.
However, the occupying Israeli army responded by stating the soldier “acted professionally” by not retaliating.
The viral video of the incident attracted global attention with Amnesty International describing Tamimi as the “Rosa Parks of Palestine”.
Her mother, Mrs Nariman Tamimi, and a cousin were also arrested and are reported to have also accepted plea bargains.
Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East, said that Tamimi’s “sentence is another alarming example of the Israeli authorities’ contempt for their obligations to protect the basic rights of Palestinians living under their occupation, especially children.
“Ahed Tamimi is a minor. Nothing she did warrants her continued imprisonment and she must be released immediately.
“By sentencing Ahed to eight months in prison, the Israeli authorities have confirmed yet again that they have no regard for the rights of Palestinian children, and have no intention to reverse their discriminatory policies.”
