[anarchist23]

An Israeli soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian attacker in a high-profile case that split opinion across the country has been jailed for 18 months.

Elor Azaria was found guilty of manslaughter for shooting dead 21-year-old Abdul Fatah al-Sharif in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, last March.

Azaria had told a colleague that Sharif, who had stabbed another soldier, "deserved to die".

Military chiefs condemned his actions, but others praised them.

The case fuelled debate in Israel over when and how soldiers are entitled to use lethal force against attackers.

The shooting occurred amid a wave of attacks by Palestinians that had killed 29 Israelis over the preceding five months.

The offence carries a sentence of up to 20 years, though prosecutors had called for Azaria to be jailed for between three and five years.

Outside the court, chanting and singing from protesters didn't falter as the verdict was read out. The small but noisy crowd had come to demand Elor Azaria's immediate release and condemn his trial, not to argue over the length of his sentence.

Nationalist politicians criticised the sentence. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the Jewish Home party in the governing coalition, called for an immediate pardon. "Elor must not go to jail," he said, "or we will all pay the price."

Yusri al-Sharif, the father of the attacker killed by Azaria, said the sentence was a "joke" and the Israeli authorities were "laughing in our face". He had called for a life sentence.

This is not the end of the case. Azaria's defence team have said they will appeal against the verdict of manslaughter and there is the possibility of getting the sentence reduced.

Azaria, who was also ordered demoted from his rank of sergeant, sat smiling broadly, embraced by his mother, as the judgment was read out, says our correspondent.

The judge, Maya Heller, said his crime was mitigated by the fact that it was his first conviction, that it had occurred in an active military scene and that there had been no clear orders as to how he was supposed to act.

Judge Heller noted that Azaria had not displayed any remorse for what he had done.

A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority criticised the sentence as lenient, calling it a "green light to the occupation army to continue its crimes", AFP news agency reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said he would support any decision to pardon the soldier.

The killing received widespread coverage after footage of the incident, filmed on a mobile phone, was shown on Israeli news programmes.

It showed Azaria cocking his gun and firing at the head of Sharif, who was lying apparently incapacitated on the ground after being shot and wounded following the stabbing attack.

The court which convicted Azaria dismissed his claim that he had acted out of fear that Sharif might have been wearing an explosive vest.

Following the incident military chiefs and the prime minister came under fire from right-wing sections of society - including members of Mr Netanyahu's cabinet - for criticising Azaria's actions.

Mr Netanyahu later telephoned Azaria's father to offer reassurance.

BBC

[noir]

The terrorist stabbed a soldier before shot dead.

Elor Azaria

Comment in British The Economist

In the Services, subordinates need to be empowered in combat decision making in hostile situations, many may say this was cold blooded but I say that it takes 4 to 5 hrs depending on battle conditions and stress levels to 'come down' from combat mode .... not 5 mins because no rounds have gone off... that soldier was still in combat mode ... would the world opinion have been different had there been sporadic firing taking place at that time the video was taken?

The dead guy had just stabbed a fellow soldier from the account I read

As an old soldier, I would have acted similarly. From the safety of your armchair thanks for an uninformed opinion. Soldiers in battle cannot be judged by conventional standards. If there is accountability look at the leadership.

[Zionist Nationalist]

The soldier should be freed

killing terrorists is not a crime I would execute this terrorist myself If I had the opportunity

I dont consider terrorists as humans or even as dogs they are like a bacteria that should be eliminated

[noir]

The Islamophile French press is trying to mould public opinion. Even the BBC called the dead Pal, "attacker", though @anarchist23 title is deliberately misleading




The original BBC title which @anarchist23 twisted

[Ter]

If he were an Arab who killed an Israeli, they would distribute sweets on the roads and call streets after him and pay his family a state pension for life.
The Israelis throw their soldiers in jail

[LehmanB]

Israel must lose abit. It can't be that castrated, if wanting to survive in the middle east.
I don't suggest to follow the European/American standard of killing million people when indading someplace; but it sure can be somewhere between. It can't warns everybody, than strike a specific room in Gaza. Its not effective. And the more Israel is looping to avoid casualties, the bigger the demand to chain Israel. An Israeli soldier shold gain more freedom.

[anarchist23]

[Oxymoron]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q9H2KDYPptg




BBC

What a Grave injustice, to arrest and prison a herioc Soldier defending homeland from terrorist

[noir]

What is important in the story is how it's used by the Islamophiles. The soldier killed "a wounded Pal". Not an "attacker" or a terrorist, as he would be called if it would be happen in France or Britain. The family of the terrorist is "disappointed" by the verdict, while in a proper world they should have been kicked out to Syria, where they are belong.

[anarchist23]

Israelis troops stop medical help for young girl who was shot and seriously injured. Then Israeli police kicks Palestinian out of wheelchair who is trying to help.

[Zionist Nationalist]

That bitch was shot because she tried to stab a soldier.

stop spreading false propaganda

[noir]

Still the good news is the BBC called the Pal, "attacker". Before Brexit, the BBC used to report it as if he were an innocent victim.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... Grade.html

[Sampson Simpson]

I don't get why people take sides in this never ending cycle of violence. Israel is just as f'd up as the palestinian terrorists. They have killed 10X more Palestinians. You bomb entire neighborhoods, steal land and build developments, generally treat Palestinians like shit and refuse for them to have their own state, kill their families, friends, and you expect them to not be pissed?

And the palestinians defending the terrorists, and the terrorists themselves, what the heck do you think you are going to accomplish? Just get more innocent people killed.

And in the middle are both the innocent Israelis and Palestinians that are getting slaughtered. And lets not pretend that all Israelis hate Palestinians and all Palestinians hate Israelis.

The cycle of violence will never end, but both sides are ruled by stubborn a holes that don't want peace. The best way to move forward is to allow Palestinians to have their own country. Why the heck haven't they?

It was so stupid to create Israel in the first place. Yeah, go in and take sacred land for the 3 major world religions and think there isn't going to be issues with it

[noir]

The whole problem is keeping Arabs under Jewish control/occupation. Before the war both the British labour and the conservatives thought the best solution is the evacuate the Arabs, but than the war started and the Arabs gained huge influence, so nothing could be done. And the conflict is going on.

[anarchist23]

Israel is just as f'd up as the palestinian terrorists. They have killed 10X more Palestinians. You bomb entire neighborhoods, steal land and build developments, generally treat Palestinians like shit and refuse for them to have their own state, kill their families, friends, and you expect them to not be pissed?

This sentence of eighteen months for the killing of a wounded freedom fighter is a travesty of justice. Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, the Palestinian assailant was a brave man and he paid the ultimate price.

[noir]

@anarchist23 , it could be you on the hand of Muslim freedom fighters


German tourists in Morocco

[JohnRawls]

I believe justice was performed. The person that got killed was indeed an attacker/terrorist but it doesn't mean that you can simply kill him when he is already defenceless/disarmed.(Unless you don't support any norms of war. Good luck to you if you are on the receiving end) The soldier finished him off basically. If the guy was running at him with a knife then it would be self dense but the attacker was already disarmed. He violated the boundaries of self-defence so he should be punished.

This sentence of eighteen months for the killing of a wounded freedom fighter is a travesty of justice. Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, the Palestinian assailant was a brave man and he paid the ultimate price.

The Palestinian assailant was a terrorist. Attacking people with a knife in the middle of the City is not freedom fighting, it is terrorism. White washing is the reason that some arguments can't be taken seriously. Terrorist and Freedom fighter are subjective terms of course but this is clearly terrorism. (No matter how you try to describe it).

Also if you consider him a freedom fighter then you support genocide of Israeli civilians? Your comment sure makes you sound like that.

[One Degree]

If an outsider comes into my community and attacks people simply because they are part of my community, then they deserve to die as quickly as possible. Capturing them and holding a trial just prolongs the pain for all concerned and risks justice not be carried out in the end.

[JohnRawls]

That is not something a soldier should decide. There are courts for a reason.

[One Degree]

That is not something a soldier should decide. There are courts for a reason.

If soldiers are involved, then the court system has already been bypassed. Civilian courts should not decide the right or wrong of soldiers on duty.