Israel’s decision to put a Palestinian teen on trial could come back to bite it
"Israel Strikes Iran in Syria and Loses a Jet"
By Loveday Morris February 13 at 4:00 AM Email the author
[VIDEO 1:16 - ] A 16-year-old Palestinian activist is going on trial Feb. 13. Here's what you should know about Ahed Tamimi. (The Washington Post)
OFER, West Bank — Slouching in her chair and mouthing messages to her friends and family from under a cascade of strawberry-blond curls, Ahed Tamimi in many ways appears to be an everyday teenager.
But the tussle of television cameras and photographers that crowded in for a shot of her in the dock of a small Israeli military court in Ofer for a bail hearing last month was a reminder that she is far from it.
Ahed, who recently turned 17, was arrested after a video of her slapping and kicking two Israeli soldiers who had entered her front yard went viral last year. On Tuesday, she goes on trial on 12 charges, including assault of a soldier and incitement.
The judge though, decided to eject all journalists and all external observers from the hearing, in what rights groups said was an attempt to squash coverage of what could be a lengthy and an embarrassing trial.
The judge argued that it was in Ahed’s interest, but her lawyer said it was not.
Although no one was seriously hurt, the Israeli military, her lawyer says, is keen to make an example of her to deter other young Palestinians from fighting back against the Israeli occupation.
But what is expected to be a months-long trial could well have the opposite effect, while highlighting concerns surrounding the detention of minors by Israel.
Already a poster child for the Palestinian cause, her arrest has propelled her to new levels of fame. Images of her standing hands on hips and staring down an Israeli soldier were plastered on London bus stops calling for her release.
Jim Fitzpatrick, an Irish artist famed for his iconic two-toned painting of Che Guevara, painted her as Wonder Woman. She has been compared to Rosa Parks and Joan of Arc. An Israeli musician even likened her to Anne Frank.
Her family says letters of messages of support have flooded in from the region and the world.
Bassem Tamimi, her father, says his daughter’s arrest came just when the Palestinians needed a new source of inspiration.
“It’s the moment of Trump, the moment that nobody knows what to do,” he said. “The people in the Arab countries and the Palestinians are bored of seeing a victim all the time. Now they see a small child slapping the face of the occupation.”
Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and a White House they see as favoring Israel more than ever, has fueled frustration among Palestinians. Regular clashes have broken out in the West Bank between demonstrators and Israeli forces, which although not large after 50 years of occupation, have been persistent.
But also a factor in her international fame, her father says, is Ahed’s blond hair and blue eyes.
“They don’t like to see a white girl as a victim,” he said. “They see their children, they see themselves.”
A Russian reconnaissance plane has been shot down by a Syrian missile over the Mediterranean Sea, killing all 15 people on board, according to the Russian Defence Ministry — and Moscow is blaming Israel for the crash.
[...]
Meanwhile, the leaders of Russia and Turkey have agreed to establish a demilitarised zone in Syria's Idlib region, the last major stronghold of anti-government rebels, where fears have been running high of a devastating offensive by government forces.
The zone will be established by October 15 and be 15 to 20 kilometres deep, with troops from Russia and NATO member Turkey conducting coordinated patrols, President Vladimir Putin said after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi.
The deal marked a significant agreement between the two leaders and effectively delays an offensive by Syria and its Russian and Iranian allies, one that Turkey fears would create a humanitarian crisis near its border.
Mr Putin said "radical militants" such as the Al Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham would have to withdraw from the zone.
The group denies it is linked to Al Qaeda.
Asked whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government agreed with the plan, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told reporters in Sochi that "in the coming hours, we will agree with them on all the positions put forth in this document".
In recent weeks, Russian officials have repeatedly said that rebels in Idlib were preparing a chemical weapons attack that could be blamed on the Syrian Government and prompt a retaliatory strike by the West.
Turkey had appealed to Russia and Iran, its uneasy negotiating partners, for a diplomatic resolution. At the same time, it has sent reinforcements to its troops ringing Idlib, a move designed to ward off a ground assault, at least for now.
"When events started unfolding in Syria, Hezbollah sided with its lawful authorities, seeing the fight against terrorists in the region as its duty. Hezbollah became directly involved in military operations at Syria’s request, alongside Russia and Iran," Zasypkin added.
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