Israel deports Italian artists for drawing Ahed Tamimi mural

Israel is expelling two Italian artists who drew a large mural of Palestinian resistance icon and teen, Ahed Tamimi, on the illegal Separation Wall in occupied Bethlehem.

The pair had been detained on Saturday and the Interior Ministry decided to revoke their tourist visas and gave them 72 hours to leave the country.

A Palestinian man who had been arrested with the Italians was released.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) yesterday condemned Israel’s detention of two Italians and the Palestinian graffiti artists, the Anadolu Agency reported.

READ: Israel detains Italian artists for jailed Tamimi mural

In a statement issued by the foreign ministry, the PA said that the detention of the artists is considered “state terror” against art and culture.

It “reflects the sensitivity of the Israeli occupation to any international solidarity with Palestine and its people.”

The artists drew the large mural in preparation for the release of Ahed Tamimi, who spent eight months inside Israeli occupation jails along with her mother, Nariman. Ahed and her mother returned to their home in the occupied West Bank village of Nabi Saleh yesterday.