Israel’s prime minister has called for a pardon for a soldier convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of a wounded Palestinian terrorist.
With his comment, Benjamin Netanyahu has plunged into a raging political debate that has divided the country, putting himself at odds with the military. The prime minister made the remarks just hours after Sgt. Elor Azaria was convicted on Wednesday. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years. Azaria’s defense team has already said it will appeal.
On his Facebook page, Netanyahu wrote: “I support giving Elor Azaria a pardon.”
He also urged the public to support the army and its commanders.
The country’s president, Reuven Rivlin, has authority to issue pardons but has said he will wait for the legal process to run its course before making a decision.
(AP)
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6 Responses
Netanyahu supports pardon but he’s as powerless under the self-appointed-well-bribed-judges-for-life-who-run-the-country as any citizen
Nothing will change as long as these radical leftist non-elected anti-Torah judges are not dethroned.
He was tried by a military court. NOT a real court. It was a court of military officers operating according to their orders. Israel included the concept of civilial control of the military, and the political leaders can issue an order to the military. Netanyahu claiming he can’t is absurd.
IDF Sgt. Elor Azariya should be freed as he is innocent, of the conviction of manslaughter, in the line of duty to defend Israel from its enemies.
The dead man, the enemy, had not been neutralized to satisfy the proper safety concerns and requirements of the IDF.
It is not even sure that he was alive, but certainly it was thought wise not to even approach him as he was sensed to still be a danger while lying on the ground.
As the dead man had not been handcuffed, he was definitely still a danger, and it was the soldier who shot him Sgt. Elor Azariya who acted correctly, as it was too dangerous for any Jewish soldier to approach the dead man to handcuff him, for an explosion could have occurred as the dead man could have been carrying explosives.
So it does not matter the motives of the accused soldier, for he was the only person who instinctively felt the danger, and he is a hero. He is innocent, a true hero, making a very quick decision to protect the other Jewish soldiers.
Therefore Sgt. Elor Azariya is perfectly innocent.
The judge should reconsider.
It’s very nice that he supports it on Facebook but I have yet to see him do anything actually
It costs nothing to support something I want action
The soldier is a true hero