Israeli President Pardons Soldier Who Killed Injured Palestinian in West Bank Despite Chief of Staff's Opposition

- Israeli President Isaac Herzog granted clemency to a soldier who shot and killed a Palestinian attacker who was incapacitated in the occupied West Bank in 2016, despite opposition from the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army to the pardon. In announcing the decision on Saturday, Herzog stated that the step would allow Elor Azaria - who was serving his mandatory military service at the time of the incident - to "move forward in his life."

The decision entails the expungement of Azaria's criminal record. The case has caused a division in Israeli society, raising concerns about the politicization of the military institution, and it played a role in the resignation of then-Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon.

Many on the right, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called for Azaria's pardon. However, the Israeli army clarified at the time that the shooting represented a "serious violation of the values of the Israeli army and the rules of conduct and standards for military operations."

A video recording of the incident showed Azaria, who was serving as a military medic, approaching a Palestinian man suspected of carrying out a knife attack before shooting him in the head while he was injured and lying on the ground in the street. In a post on the platform "X" (formerly Twitter), Ya'alon strongly criticized the decision to issue the pardon.

He said: "The soldier did not claim that he shot the 'terrorist' because he felt his life was in danger, but 'because he deserved to die.'" Ya'alon addressed Herzog directly, saying: "You decided to expunge the criminal record without listening to evidence that the soldier bears responsibility for his actions or regrets them."

Herzog issued his statement on the eve of the Jewish Day of Atonement, saying that "the circumstances, the passage of time, and the sorrow expressed by Azaria justify allowing him to begin a new chapter in his life." Azaria was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the murder of Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, who was one of two men accused of stabbing another Israeli soldier in Hebron.

Azaria faced a sentence of up to 20 years in prison after his conviction, while critics said the reduced sentence did not fit the crime. Ultimately, he spent only nine months in prison before his release.

The Israeli army has not issued a statement following the pardon decision. However, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi, said in a message in July in response to the pardon request that "the request should not be approved."

In direct contradiction to Herzog, Kochavi's office stated that Azaria never expressed remorse or regret for killing the man. Kochavi opposed the pardon because Azaria did not take responsibility for his actions, and there were no "specific and significant personal circumstances" that justified granting him the pardon.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz welcomed the pardon, describing it as a "human and appropriate decision." He stated in a statement that "the time has come to allow (Azaria) to close the chapter of the past and rebuild his life and future."