Ahed Tamimi’s courage

Published February 4, 2018

THE brief video displays an act of courage: as heavily armed Israeli soldiers arrive at her home in an occupied West Bank village, a young unarmed Palestinian teenager confronts the intruders and proceeds to slap one of them. This act of bravery and defiance has landed Ahed Tamimi, the girl in question, in an Israeli detention facility awaiting trial in a military juvenile court.

It has also exposed the brutality and inhuman nature of the Israeli occupation, as the Zionist state thinks nothing of hauling away children — Ahed was 16 when the incident occurred in December — who dare to confront it.

As has been reported in various media outlets, some days earlier, Israeli troops had shot one of Ahed’s cousins — also a teenager — thus eliciting the furious reaction from the young activist. Unfortunately, humiliation, violence and suffering have been the fate of many such as Ahed and their families as illegal Jewish settlements continue to devour Arab land, while Tel Aviv’s shock troops beat into submission Palestinians who dare to raise a voice for their land or their rights.

While the excesses of the militarised Israeli state are well documented, what is particularly galling is the fact that Tel Aviv arrests and imprisons minors: according to Amnesty International, around 350 Palestinian children are currently in Israeli jails.

Perhaps the regime continues with such impunity because it knows it has friends in high places, such as Washington D.C., who will shield it from global opprobrium. However, people of conscience around the world have condemned the Ahed Tamimi incident for what it is: violence against minors. While it may be too much to expect Israel to treat all Palestinians in a humane manner, the least the Zionist state can do is respect the globally recognised rights of children.

The global community must pressure Tel Aviv to release Ahed and all Palestinian children currently in detention and heavily censure the Israeli state if it continues to imprison, torture or kill minors.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.