Ahed Tamimi Released, Now Free All Palestinian Political Prisoners

Ahed Tamimi Released, Now Free All Palestinian Political Prisoners

USPCN celebrates, with all Palestinians throughout the diaspora and in the homeland, this morning’s release of beloved youth resistance icon Ahed Tamimi, and her mother Nariman, from Israel’s occupation jails. We send our warmest greetings to the Tamimi family, some of whom we met on our recent delegation to Palestine, and salute all of our political prisoners and their families for their sacrifices and steadfastness.

Israeli occupation forces arrested and detained Ahed over 18 months ago for “suspected assault of an IDF soldier,” during a night raid of her home. Nariman was arrested later after trying to visit Ahed to be with her during the Israeli interrogation. Moments before the confrontation that prompted the arrest, soldiers had both fired tear gas at Ahed’s home and shot her cousin Mohammad in the face with a rubber bullet. The Tamimis’ village of Nabi Saleh is under constant Israeli assault, and is one of the centers of Palestinian resistance in the West Bank. The entire family has organized popular protests there for years.

Ahed Tamimi is a strong symbol of Palestinian anti-colonial resistance for unapologetically defending her land, people, and dignity. Despite harsh repression against her entire family, she never compromised on the right to resist. And no matter how much the racist Israeli occupier state attempts to criminalize Palestinian resistance, its continued jailing and killing of Palestinians, especially outspoken youth like Ahed, has only galvanized international support for the liberation of Palestine.

According to the Defense of Children International-Palestine Section (DCIP), 70% of Palestinians Ahed’s age (12-17 years old) are arrested for throwing stones, and are then subjected to various forms of abuse, coercion into signing false confessions, and denial of basic prisoner rights. The occupation jail system indiscriminately applies military court and prison practices to approximately 5,900 Palestinian political prisoners overall, 5% of whom are children like Ahed. Nevertheless, those imprisoned are tireless fighters, organizers, movement builders, and youth who inspire those on the outside, as well as Palestinians everywhere, to continue resisting and demanding freedom and dignity.

This is a critical moment in Palestine, marked by the repression against the #GreatReturnMarch (in which 150 Palestinians have been massacred by Israel, and over 14,000 injured) and the new military attacks on Gaza, the continued political assault on occupied Jerusalem, and the escalation of violence by illegal settlers (with the support and protection of Israel’s military) against Palestinians across the West Bank.

Today’s release of Ahed and Nariman comes in the wake of this increased Israeli terrorism against our people, and so as we welcome them home with pride and happiness, we also call upon Palestinians and supporters here in the U.S. to continue to educate and organize, and to demand that our elected officials condemn Israel’s crimes.

And contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives, and call on them to demand freedom for all Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli and Palestinian Authority jails!

Until Liberation & Return,

USPCN – July 29, 2018