A child of apartheid growing up in the Occupied West Bank, Ahed has been a symbol of Palestinian resistance since the age of ten, when images of her confronting Israeli soldiers harassing her family spread around the world.

When she was 16 years old, Ahed was arrested for slapping an Israeli soldier as they arrested her younger brother for throwing stones at armed occupiers. She served an 8 month prison sentence after, which temporarily delayed her ambitions to graduate and study law.

She has continued to be an outspoken critic of the illegal occupation of her homeland, and was again arrested last month for allegedly “inciting violence” by posting anti occupation posts, as over 15,000 of her fellow countrymen are being ethnically cleansed in Gaza.

She lives in the West Bank, where there is no Hamas, yet 138 Palestinians have been killed there in the last 7 weeks, and over 1,000 civilians, including her and her father, have been detained and held indefinitely. She has been beaten in prison, while being held without charges since November 6th.

Her story is told in her book, “They Called Me A Lioness: A Palestinian Girl’s Fight For Freedom” written by her and the incredible Dena Takruri. It is a must read, and gives first hand perspective to what life is like for the over 3 million Palestinians living through apartheid in the West Bank.

Please look at the story highlights entitled Ahed,  on my Instagram profile page for an interview with her and Dena, as well as the plight of those living under apartheid in the West Bank

Acrylic on Canvas 18" x 24"