IDF General: Tamimi Boy’s Head Injury Due to Bike Mishap, Not Rubber Bullet

Muhammad Tamimi – whose head injury allegedly from a rubber bullet set off a December riot which culminated in the infamous incident in which his cousin, Ihad Tamimi, attacked an IDF soldier, kicking him and slapping his face – hurt his head in a bicycle mishap, according to a social media post by IDF Territories Coordinator General Yoav Mordechai. In the Arabic-language post, Mordechai said that the 15-year-old, who Imad Tamimi claimed to be defending when she attacked the soldier, admitted that he had sustained a head injury falling off his bicycle during the riot – and that he had not been hit in the head by a rubber bullet, as had been claimed.

“The boy’s father, Fadal a-Tamimi, has been claiming that his son was hit by a rubber bullet in his head during the riots in their village of Nabi Salah, and that doctors had to cut away part of his skull to get the bullet out,” Mordechai wrote. “But miraculously, today the boy himself told police and security officials that in December he hurt his head while riding on his bike. He was hurt when he fell off the bike. A piece of the bike’s fender penetrated his head,” which would explain the metal removed by doctors. “The lies and incitement of the Palestinians never seems to stop, both among the young and the old. This is just another example of fake news,” he added.

The Tamimi family condemned the allegation, saying that it was “the latest attempt to defame our good name. They tried to claim we were not a real family, and now they claim that our son’s injuries are not real. Muhammad was injured by a rubber bullet, there are witnesses to this incident, the bullet was removed from his head in an operation. These are facts. General Mordechai and the government of Israel have proven one thing – that there is no level they will stoop to in order to stop our efforts to realize our rights and end the occupation.” If he did “admit” that he was injured in a bike accident, it was because he was “confused and scared,” they said.

In December, Ihad Temimi, along with her sister, were arrested for cursing, kicking, and slapping two IDF officers in a demonstration that took place in their village of Nebi Salah. Tamimi and her sister were involved in the attack, while their mother was arrested on charges of incitement.

The Tamimis have a long history of terror and violence, Yisrael Hayom reported; altogether, the report said, the Tamimi clan is responsible for the deaths of 55 Israelis in terror attacks over the years. Members of the family have participated in many demonstrations and riots, the report said, and one of the cousins, Bassam Tamimi, is considered one of the Palestinian Authority’s biggest “experts” on “Jewish conspiracies” involving the kidnapping and slaughter of Arab children by Jews. He is joined by brother-in-law Man’al Tamimi, who is very active on social media, with his chief messages incitement against Israel and anti-Semitic messages.