Israeli court will not increase term of soldier who killed Palestinian

AN ISRAELI military court has rejected an appeal against the conviction for manslaughter of a soldier for shooting a wounded Palestinian attacker in Hebron last year.

While upholding the conviction, the court rejected a prosecution request to increase the 18-month jail sentence given to Elor Azaria.

Azaria shot and killed the injured Abdel Fattah al-sharif as he lay on the ground after attempting to stab soldiers in the city in the occupied West Bank.

The killing was caught on video by a Palestinian volunteer for an Israeli human rights group, B’tselem. In their ruling, the appeals court rejected Azaria’s testimony as untrustworthy, and found that he had shot the Palestinian from a desire for vengeance.

The judges said, however, in a majority ruling, that the circumstances of the incident and the fact that the killing had not been planned meant that the 18-month sentence should not be extended. In a protest at the decision, Azaria’s mother and several other people put on black shirts in the courtroom.

The case has divided Israel, with many politicians openly supporting Azaria against the army, traditionally a highly-respected institution in the country. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, on Sunday reiterated his support for a pardon for the soldier.

“My opinion did not change with regard to granting amnesty to Azaria, as I expressed it after the verdict,” he tweeted.

“When the matter is brought up for practical discussion, I will forward my recommendation for amnesty to the relevant parties.”

The conviction of the soldier has done little to assuage the anger of Palestinians over the case, many of whom have pointed to the 18-month sentence as far less than the mandatory minimum sentence for Palestinians who throw stones.