JERUSALEM: A senior Israeli official on Wednesday said he led a secret investigation into 16-year-old Palestinian protest icon Ahed Tamimi and her family, in part because their appearance 鈥� including 鈥渂lond-haired, freckled鈥� children in 鈥淲estern clothes鈥� 鈥� made them seem less like 鈥渞eal鈥� Palestinians.
The stunning comments by Michael Oren, a deputy minister and former ambassador to the US, promptly drew accusations of racism from the family 鈥� the latest twist in a case that has turned into a public relations headache for Israel.
The case revolves around Israel鈥檚 handling of Ahed Tamimi, who was arrested on Dec. 19 for slapping two Israeli soldiers outside her West Bank home four days earlier.
Video of the scuffle quickly spread, giving Ahed worldwide attention. The girl, noticeable for her long blond curls, and her mother are now being held in jail. Ahed faces charges that carry up to 14 years in prison.
Oren told The Associated Press that he had led a classified parliamentary investigation into the Tamimis two years ago in which Israeli security agencies and diplomats participated.
The family has a long history of leading protests against Israeli policies in the West Bank that often turn into clashes with soldiers in their village of Nabi Saleh and Ahed has been involved in highly publicized scuffles with soldiers in the past.
Oren said his investigation looked into whether the protests were genuine or whether the family members were provocateurs, paid to send children to clash with soldiers.
Derisively calling the skirmishes caught on tape 鈥淧allywood,鈥� Oren claimed that 鈥渟omeone鈥� was funding the unrest to harm Israel鈥檚 image, without providing evidence.
鈥淭he Tamimi family and those claiming to be part of the Tamimi family have been provoking Israeli soldiers for many, many years now,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he children were chosen on the basis of their external look, to look Western, freckled, and blond-haired.鈥�
鈥淭hey were dressed as Westerners,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 dress the way children dress in the West Bank, for a very specific purpose: To get soldiers to react violently to them, to take pictures of this violence and to spread it around the world in order to delegitimize, discredit the state of Israel.鈥�
He called it a 鈥渧ery sophisticated operation鈥� that has succeeded in manipulating the Western press.
In an interview with Israeli Channel 10 TV, Oren claimed one boy appeared in different videos with a cast on one arm at one protest, and on his other arm at another protest, before disappearing from demonstrations altogether.
In a statement from his office, Oren said: 鈥淚n discussions held in the committee, the issue of the family鈥檚 credibility was raised and if it really is a real family.鈥�
Ahed鈥檚 father, Bassem Tamimi, called Oren鈥檚 investigation 鈥渟illy and stupid鈥� and said the investigation was racist.
鈥淲e, the Tamimi family, were here in Palestine before the creation of Israel, and we will stay,鈥� he said. 鈥淒enying that Palestinians could be blond reflects racism in the Israeli society.鈥�
Ahed has been celebrated by Palestinians as a national hero, and Israel鈥檚 treatment of her has drawn the attention of international activists, human rights groups and UN officials.
In the Dec. 15 video, she is seen approaching two soldiers standing outside her home. She yells at them, tells them to leave, then kicks and slaps them as they stand silently.
The family says the girl was upset because a young cousin had been shot in the head and seriously wounded with a rubber bullet fired by Israeli troops. But the altercation drew outrage in Israel over what some had seen as a humiliation of the military.
In a reflection of the tensions, Israel鈥檚 Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the popular Army Radio station to ban any songs composed by Yehonatan Geffen, a leading journalist and songwriter, because of a poem he published that praised Ahed. Israel鈥檚 attorney general ruled that Lieberman has no authority over the station鈥檚 programming.
Opposition lawmaker Nachman Shai, a former chief military spokesman who is often critical of the government, acknowledged that the incident has become part of the war for the 鈥渉earts and minds鈥� of people around the world.
But he said Israel had no choice in how to handle the case.
鈥淪he does not deserve to return home as if nothing happened,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou cannot ignore it, because that will cause other Palestinians to follow her.鈥�
Tamimi was arrested in an overnight raid on Dec. 19, and her mother was arrested when she visited her daughter at a police station.
An Israeli military court has ordered they both be held for the duration of their trial 鈥� a process that is expected to take months. Ahed has been charged with 12 counts of attacking soldiers in five incidents going back to April 2016, while her mother has been charged with incitement. A cousin arrested with Ahed has been released on bail.
The family lawyer, Gaby Lasky, said the trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 31, Ahed鈥檚 17th birthday. She said she was hopeful the prosecutors would not seek the maximum 14-year sentence for the girl and would agree to a reduced sentence of several months.
Ahed is currently being held in a special prison wing for minors, where her conditions have improved, Lasky said. For the first week while she was interrogated, she said Ahed was not provided with a change of clothes or a coat, and threatened with the arrests of other family members if she did not talk.
Asked about Oren鈥檚 investigation, she said she was 鈥渁shamed鈥� to hear a parliamentary committee was dealing with 鈥渨ild conspiracy theories.鈥�