Netanyahu Calls for Pardon of Convicted Israeli Soldier

Hours after an Israeli court convicted a soldier of manslaughter for killing a Palestinian assailant, Benjamin Netanyahu announced his support for a pardon for the soldier. Sergeant Elor Azaria, a young Israeli soldier, was convicted on Wednesday in a military court for shooting a Palestinian attacker who was lying unconscious on the ground in the occupied West Bank. This case has become one of the most controversial trials in Israeli history. The Israeli Prime Minister wrote on his Facebook: "I support the pardon of Elor Azaria. This is a hard and painful day for all of us, especially for Elor and his family, for the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, for many soldiers, and for the fathers and mothers of our soldiers, including myself." Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who has the authority to pardon convicts, stated that he would wait for the legal process to unfold before making a decision on the case. According to Reuters, the trial of Sergeant Elor Azaria, who shot a Palestinian man after he had attacked another Israeli soldier with a knife in March, sparked significant controversy in Israel from the outset. Right-wing politicians called for the President to pardon the 20-year-old soldier following the court's verdict. Concurrently, as the military court's ruling was announced in Tel Aviv, which was heavily secured, several hundred right-wing supporters of Azaria clashed with police. One of the protesters carried a placard quoting Donald Trump that read, "We will make America great again." Ten months ago, while serving in Hebron, Elor Azaria was involved in an incident where two Palestinian attackers assaulted an Israeli soldier with knives. Hebron has been a hotspot for violent clashes, and this incident occurred during a wave of street attacks by Palestinians against Israelis. One of the Palestinian attackers was killed by Israeli soldiers, and the other was injured by gunfire. Eleven minutes after the attack, while the 21-year-old Palestinian named Abdul Fattah al-Sharif lay unconscious on the ground, Elor Azaria shot him in the head. During the trial, Azaria claimed that he believed the Palestinian assailant, despite being unconscious and motionless, could still pose a danger because his knife was near him and he might have been carrying explosives. One of the soldiers present at the scene testified during the trial that Sergeant Azaria said after shooting the Palestinian assailant, "He deserved to die." The three judges of the military court rejected Azaria's arguments in defense of his actions. The judges stated in their ruling: "No one can use such a method of force even in dealing with the lives of enemy individuals. We unanimously convict the defendant of manslaughter and behavior contrary to the duties of a soldier." Elor Azaria sat next to his parents with a smile on his face and showed no reaction as the court's verdict was read. However, his mother shouted, "You should be ashamed of yourselves." After the verdict was announced and the judges left the courtroom, Azaria's relatives shouted, "Our hero." With the approach of the 50th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, this trial has sparked heated debates about the Israeli army, which has always been respected as a mix of all trends and backgrounds in Israeli society. Today, as public opinion shifts towards right-wing policies regarding Palestinians and the handling of ongoing violence, some believe that the actions of the Israeli army do not align with the sentiments of society. The footage of Azaria shooting the unconscious Palestinian assailant, recorded by a Palestinian human rights activist, shows that the knife was not accessible to him at all, and no bombs or explosives were found on him. The widespread release of this video in the media drew international attention to the incident, forcing the Israeli army to take serious action regarding it. A survey in Israel indicates that about half of Israeli Jews defend Azaria's actions and say that any Palestinian involved in attacks should be killed on the spot. However, despite public pressure, the Israeli army has maintained from the beginning that this action violates military regulations, which permit shooting only when soldiers' lives are in danger.