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Herzog wiped Elor Azaria's 2016 Hebron manslaughter conviction

President Isaac Herzog shortened the remaining erasure period on Elor Azaria's manslaughter conviction for killing wounded Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in Hebron in 2016, Al Jazeera reported, against opposition from Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. The Jerusalem Post wrote that Herzog accepted Azaria's request and erased the rest of his criminal file, citing the passage of time, expressed regret and the spirit of Yom Kippur, with Defence Minister Israel Katz welcoming the step.

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Israeli President Isaac Herzog closes an unmarked file at his desk in a bright presidential office beside an Israeli flag.

A filmed shot after eleven minutes on the ground

Al Jazeera wrote that Azaria, then an army medic, was filmed in March 2016 shooting Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in the head after al-Sharif had stabbed a soldier and had already lain on the ground for about 11 minutes. A military court convicted him of manslaughter in 2017 and sentenced him to 18 months, later cut to 14; Al Jazeera wrote that he was released in May 2018 after nine months. Herzog announced on Saturday that he had shortened the remaining erasure period on the conviction, effectively wiping it. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir had opposed the request. The president's office cited Defence Minister Israel Katz's July request alongside the passage of time.[1]

Yom Kippur, time passed, Katz's welcome

Anna Barsky at the Jerusalem Post wrote that Herzog accepted Azaria's request and erased the rest of his criminal file after the manslaughter conviction for the 24 March 2016 Hebron shooting. Herzog's office cited the passage of time and regret Azaria expressed, and framed the step in the spirit of Yom Kippur. Defence Minister Israel Katz welcomed the decision.[2]

Two papers, two prison calendars

The Jerusalem Post wrote that Azaria began a prison term in August 2024 after the conviction for shooting Abdel Fatah al-Sharif. That prison chronology is the Post's account in this paper. Al Jazeera's release date of May 2018 is not merged into that timeline here.[2], [1]

References

  1. News sourceAl JazeeraThe soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian in 2016 has his conviction wiped↩1↩2
  2. News sourceThe Jerusalem PostThe soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian in 2016 had his record cleared↩1↩2
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