They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom

by Ahed Tamimi

THE ELECTION OF Donald Trump as president of the United States was one of the worst things to happen to the Palestinian people in recent years. The United States had long tried to sell itself as an honest broker of peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, though anyone even remotely paying attention knew this was a farce. We had decades of proof that the United States would always favor Israel’s interests over ours. This much was evident in how America has repeatedly used its veto power at the United Nations to protect Israel from having to comply with various UN and human rights resolutions; in how it has turned a blind eye to Israel’s continued illegal settlement construction despite such construction’s being in violation of long-standing U.S. policy; and, perhaps most notably, in how it has demonstrated its unwavering support for Israel by consistently giving the country more military aid than it has ever provided to anyone else—a trend that shows no sign of ending anytime soon. Before leaving office, President Barack Obama signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Israel that included a record $38 billion to provide the country with military assistance over a ten-year period. It guaranteed a steady flow of American-funded and -manufactured weapons—which Israel uses, among other applications, to kill us.