By Yaseen Kippie
After social media outcry at the arrest of 16 year old Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi, many others of the Tamimi family have been arrested, including her father.
Bassem Tamimi, the father of Ahed Tamimi, was arrested earlier today while attending the court hearing of his daughter. 16 year old Ahed was arrested during an early morning raid on their home in Nabi Saleh village in the West Bank. Bassem’s wife, Nariman, was also arrested yesterday afternoon during a visit to Ahed at an Israeli police station.
Ahed Tamimi at a hearing in Ofer where a 10 day extension of detention was ordered. Her father Bassem Tamimi and Nariman Tamimi her mother have also been arrested.
Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman calls upon the Tamimi’s to receive Collective Punishment, “Everyone involved, not only the girl but also her parents and those around them will not escape from what they deserve,” Liberman said referring to the Tamimi’s while touring Israel’s southern border.
Israeli Minister of Education Naftali Bennet said, “the Palestinian girl Ahed Tamimi should spend her whole life in jail.”
The Tamimi family is known for their activism against Zionist occupation. Bassem has been arrested numerous times by Israeli forces, and was termed a “prisoner of conscience” by Amnesty International, the international rights-advocacy group, during one of his several stints in Israeli prison in 2012.
Ahed’s cousin 21 year old Journalist Noora was also arrested along with other youth from the Nabi Saleh region.
South African Activist Azra Carrim says she is disappointed that the South African government, who met with the Tamimi family a few months ago, has not said anything yet.
“There is no coincidence that the Tamimi family has been so vocal, when they arrived back from South Africa to Palestine, they’ve been targeted multiple times, tear gassed, and their home raded nightly. Their vocal activism has affected the Israelis. But I am so disappointed to see that South African government has not said anything yet.”
