Israel Releases Ahed Tamimi, Palestinian Teen Girl

Ahed Tamimi, the Palestinian teenage girl who was sentenced to eight months in prison for slapping an Israeli soldier, was released from an Israeli prison on Sunday, July 29, after serving her sentence. Reports indicate that Ahed's mother, Nariman Tamimi, who was imprisoned after Ahed, was also released alongside her daughter. Last autumn, the release of a video showing Ahed Tamimi slapping an Israeli soldier at her parents' home in the village of Nabi Saleh in the West Bank led to her trial and conviction. The trial of Ahed Tamimi became a controversial event, bringing significant fame to her and her family. Multiple videos from previous years also showed that Ahed Tamimi had always been interested in verbal confrontations and clashes with Israeli soldiers since childhood. At the time of her arrest, she was 16 years old and spent her 17th birthday in prison; thus, several international organizations had called for Israel to halt her trial. However, Israeli officials, including Avigdor Lieberman, the country's defense minister, emphasized the need to punish Ahed Tamimi to serve as a lesson for other Palestinians. According to reports, the Palestinian girl met with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, in Ramallah after her release. In another news item, it was reported that the Israeli army arrested two Italian painters and graphic artists who were drawing Ahed Tamimi's portrait on the separation wall in Bethlehem on Saturday night. Ahed Tamimi's release comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Arab citizens of Israel, numbering around two million, continuing their protests against the 'Jewish State' law. Unrest in East Jerusalem intensified after an Israeli man was killed following a knife attack by a Palestinian assailant in a West Bank settlement on Thursday night. Reports indicate that the number of Israeli security forces in East Jerusalem has increased. Simultaneously, hospital sources in Gaza reported that two Palestinians were killed in Israeli drone strikes targeting positions in eastern Jabalia on Saturday night. Israel identified the two as 'terrorists involved in violent protests at the Gaza border in recent days.' Israel insists that these protests, which included launching incendiary kites, pose a threat to the safety of Israeli citizens and will confront those responsible for these security threats. Netanyahu: The 'Jewish State' law will not change. Meanwhile, protests by Arab Christians, Muslims, and Druze living in Israel against the 'Jewish State' law, which was passed in the Israeli parliament about ten days ago, continue. Zoher Bahlool, an Arab member of the Israeli parliament known as the Knesset, resigned from the parliament on Saturday in protest against the 'Jewish State' law. Leaders of the Druze Arabs also expressed their opposition to this law and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last weekend. According to media reports, Mr. Netanyahu referred to the new law as 'the solid pillar of Israel's existence' and 'ensuring its continuity as a Jewish state for future generations' and emphasized that this law will not change. Despite the protests against the 'Jewish Nation-State' law, the likelihood of its repeal or amendment is considered low as Jews, who make up the majority of the country, mainly support this law.