Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi enters a military courtroom escorted by Israeli security personnel at Ofer Prison near Ramallah, Jan. 15, 2018. Photo: Reuters / Ammar Awad.

What did Ahed Tamimi expect would happen when she hit and punched two Israeli soldiers? Did she think that they would kill her? After all, they were armed — and she was attacking them. Did she want to be killed, and become a martyr?

On the other hand, maybe she knew that the Israeli soldiers wouldn’t respond. Despite being slapped and punched, their lives weren’t in danger. And we know that the Israeli army is the most moral and restrained military force in the world.

Israeli soldiers are always expected to be assaulted without consequence. Tamimi probably knew this, and knew that she would emerge from the incident unhurt. Instead, the world would learn about it and she would become loved and admired.

That is exactly what happened.

People everywhere are praising Tamimi and condemning Israel. The opposite should be true. Israel has once again shown itself to be a country of peace, restraint and tolerance, while Tamimi represents blind Palestinian hatred and violence.

Is there any country in the world where soldiers can be slapped and punched without responding? Israel is the obvious — and only — answer. Tamimi knew this. Is she disappointed that she wasn’t martyred? We don’t know.

In the final analysis, what is the most hated country on earth? Iran? Syria? North Korea? The United States? The answer seems to be Israel — the only Jewish nation on the planet.

Lucky for Ahed Tamimi. No matter what the outcome of her violent act had been, she would have won.