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Israeli president pardons combat medic who shot dead wounded Palestinian attacker
The Guardian • • world
Key Points:
- Israel’s president Isaac Herzog has pardoned Elor Azaria, a combat medic convicted of manslaughter for shooting a wounded Palestinian attacker in the West Bank, a case that deeply divided Israeli society a decade ago.
- Azaria was convicted in 2017 after shooting Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, who had stabbed a soldier and was lying unarmed and injured; a video capturing the incident sparked widespread controversy.
- The pardon was granted following a recommendation from Defence Minister Israel Katz and was influenced by the passage of time and the approaching Yom Kippur holiday, though the military chief of staff opposed the pardon.
- The case highlighted tensions within Israel, with some military leaders and human rights groups condemning Azaria’s actions, while many Israelis supported him, leading to political fallout including the resignation of a former defence minister.
- President Herzog emphasized that the pardon does not represent a reassessment of the case, while Palestinian officials and rights groups criticized the sentence as too lenient.
