Ahed Tamimi’s father tells Al Arabiya why he released Israeli harassment video

After a video emerged showing two Israeli interrogators threatening Ahed al-Tamimi, the now iconic face of the Palestinian revolution, with harassment, her father Bassem al-Tamimi sheds light on the story.

Speaking to Al Arabiya.net, the 16-year-old’s father explained that the purpose behind spreading the video is to show the young girl’s power, her patience to resist and her courage.

He also said that the interrogators attempted to orally harass her to break her, in turn, forcing her to speak to them after she chose to remain silent throughout the 10-day investigation period. “She wouldn’t even answer the simplest of questions such as what her name is,” he said.

Eyes of an angel

In the video, the interrogator can be seen commenting on her body, fair skin and “eyes of an angel.”

The interrogator, said to be an agent of the Israeli military intelligence branch, at times moves within inches of the teenager who doesn’t respond and repeatedly asserts her right to remain silent.

The point of the video was not to show the act of harassment in itself, said Tamimi’s father. “This is not our way and it’s not our tradition. Not to mention, no father can put out a video showcasing his daughter being harassed,” he added.

“The point of the video was to show how brave and strong she was,” said the father.

Tamimi’s father urged people not to focus on the harassment predicament, but to learn from the model Ahed embodies. He said: “The point is that Israeli harassment and occupation crimes do not break the Palestinian people’s will or their children’s will.”

He also told Al Arabiya that his daughter has been under a lot of pressure as she was move to another prison and was isolated in a cold cell. Tamimi was also threatened that the rest of her family would be arrested.

“We will continue fighting the occupation and continue showing its ugliness because we are not victims. We are fighters for the freedom of our people,” said the father.

Speaking to the Palestinian people he said: “Don’t be afraid of this occupation and don’t fear it because it is weaker than you think. You need to continue resisting them and this young girl is a model to all.”

- With AP.