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Israeli occupation forces are celebrating a major victory after thwarting a growing threat: a 16-year-old Palestinian girl who shows no fear in fighting back against military personnel invading her home.
ANALYSIS:
Colonial Insecurity Is Rooted in Palestine's Refusal to Die
Ahed al-Tamimi has earned widespread respect as an exemplary Palestinian fighter who, despite her youth, continues to resist the Israeli occupation of her people's territory. In 2010, as a child, she first became famous through a photograph in which she stands before a soldier with her fist raised.
In 2015, she once again earned the admiration of Arabs after photos circulated of the then-14-year-old – along with her female cousin, her aunt and her mother – fighting an Israeli occupation soldier who was pinning down her 12-year old male cousin. In the photo, Ahed can be seen biting the soldier's hand after he smacked her in the face.
In 2016, another image of her staring down a female occupation trooper also went viral.
Nicknamed "Shirley Temper" because of her fair, curly hair and prominence on YouTube, Tamimi's popularity became irksome to the occupation authorities, especially when she dined with then-Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan three years ago. This summer, she embarked on a speaking tour of South Africa to rally support for her people.
Tamimi made more headlines when another video went viral in which she can be seen shouting at, slapping, kicking and even punching two heavily armed Israeli occupation troops deployed to suppress protests in her village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah. The soldiers, who had apparently posted themselves on her family's property, eventually retreated.
However, a warrant was issued for her arrest and she was detained the next day.
During the arrest, soldiers beat the family and confiscated their phones, cameras and computers, according to her father, Bassem Tamimi.
The family are popular advocates for the Palestinian cause in the village, which is the site of weekly protests against the Israeli occupation.
The hashtag #FreeAhedTamimi began circulating on Twitter and memes calling for her release in English and Arabic have been shared across social media.
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