Pardoning of Israeli soldier evokes a long history of clemency for those who kill Palestinians
Elor Azaria, who killed a wounded Palestinian assailant, had his criminal record cleared. It follows a history of such pardons and reduced sentences.
Israeli soldier Elor Azaria, convicted of manslaughter in 2017 for killing a wounded Palestinian man, has been pardoned by Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The decision, announced on September 19, 2026, more than eight years after Azaria completed his prison sentence, removes any lasting consequences for him. However, the pardon is seen by human rights groups as a troubling pattern in Israeli justice.
The president's decision is based on Azaria's expression of remorse, the passage of time, and the approaching Jewish Day of Atonement. Yet, Azaria had previously stated he would act the same way again. This pardoning comes in a broader historical context, where Palestinians are often viewed as obstacles to Israel's territorial goals and whose removal may be deemed justified.
The precedent for such pardons dates back to Israel's founding, with the first president, Chaim Weizmann, commuting the sentence of a soldier who killed Palestinian civilians during the 1948 war. This pattern of leniency continued, as seen in the 1956 Kafr Qasim massacre, where Israeli soldiers were convicted of murder but saw their sentences reduced and eventually pardoned within months of their conviction.
Critics argue that this shows the Israeli justice system's unwillingness or inability to enforce the law against soldiers who harm Palestinians, a troubling trend with historical roots.
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