Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman during a Monday evening address at Ariel University indicated he will stand at the side of IDF Sgt. Elor Azariya even if the court ruled that he erred. Azariya faces manslaughter charges for shooing at a wounded terrorist from point blank range in Hebron on Purim.

Lieberman added “In a democratic country, anyone who has not been convicted is innocent, and for sure this is the case when dealing with IDF soldiers who are serving a mission, sent by Am Yisrael into the friction with a hostile populations and to confront terrorism”.

Lieberman added that to his sorrow, there were many in the media and political community who were quick to convict the soldier before the trial began, calling on them to refrain from acting in this way in the future, especially when dealing with a soldier, who should be given the benefit of the doubt.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)