Guardian Corrects Op-ed: Blond-haired Blue-eyed Palestinian Teen is No ‘Peaceful’ Activist

The Guardian corrected its description of Ahed Tamimi, removing the word “peaceful” from the description of her activism.  

By: United with Israel Staff

A Guardian op-ed written earlier this month by a radical anti-Israel activist described young, blond-haired, blue-eyed Ahed Tamimi as a “peaceful” human rights activist.

The op-ed, authored by Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, a “peace and social justice movement,” defended Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel and claimed that Ahed Tamimi (aka “Shirley Temper”) was arrested for her “peaceful” activism.

Tamimi, 17, was arrested last month after filmed assaulting IDF soldiers as they operated to quell a violent protest in the village of Nabi Saleh.

Adam Levick of UK Media Watch responded, pointing out to the Guardian that its own coverage of the incident included a video of the Palestinian teen striking an Israeli soldier, which led to her arrest.

Furthermore, the suggestion that Tamimi promotes anything resembling “peace” was contradicted in her “message to the world” video, also covered by the Guardian, which justified Palestinian stabbings and suicide bombings, Levick said.

The Guardian editors accepted the media watchdog’s complaint and removed the word “peaceful” from the sentence referring to Tamimi.

Tamimi and her family routinely engage in provocations against the IDF. “Pallywood” star Ahed became prominent in 2012 when a video, depicting her raising a fist to IDF soldiers, went viral. Google lists over 729,000 news stories that mention her.

After last month’s incident, she was indicted on two counts of assault and 10 counts of rioting, hindering security forces in the line of duty and incitement to violence. Her mother Nariman and cousin Nur, who participated in the provocation, were also charged with incitement.

Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman signed an order this month preventing the girl’s father, who has been arrested multiple times for rioting and inciting children to commit acts of terror, from traveling abroad.

In 2011, Bassem was convicted and jailed when caught organizing the village children to march towards the neighboring Jewish community of Halamish and throw stones.

Ahlam Tamimi, described by the Hamas military wing as their first female recruit, is a first cousin of Bassem Tamimi and a Nabi Saleh native. Ahlam was a member of the Hamas terrorist cell that carried out the August 2001 bombing of the Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem, which claimed the lives of 15 victims.