Ahed Tamimi

Text by Clara Tarrero

Ahed Tamini is a 14-year-old Palestinian girl who lives in the village of Nabi Saleh, in the occupied Palestinian territories. She is in ninth grade. This is the sweet blond, blue-eyed girl who two years ago stood up to Israeli soldiers, shaking her fist at one of them after she learned they had arrested her brother. She is a passionate lover of football and an unconditional fan of Neymar Jr — she and her cousin Jana baked him a strawberry cake for his birthday.

Never-ending struggle

Besides football, one of the things she loves most is the sea. “When me and my friends go out in the village we sit on top of the mountain, and we imagine we have the sea in front of us and we can go for a swim. But the occupation keeps preventing us from going.”

Nareman and Bassim Tamimi, her parents

Ahed’s parents are leaders of the popular resistance of Nabi Saleh. This translates into detentions, injuries and long absences. Both have been arrested several times. Her father, Bassim Tamimi, has been arrested nine times. The last time he spent 13 months in prison and visits were very limited. Her mother, Nareman Tamimi, has been detained five times and was injured in her thigh when she was hit by a live bullet four months ago. It will take her one more year to fully recover. Ahed’s brothers have also been detained. Ahed is only a teenager, but all these experiences have made her grow up as she has had to replace her mother while she has not been there.