Commentator Hillel Bitton Rosen accused the IDF Chief of Staff of making a political decision against the defense minister's position, after the military top brass opposed expunging Elor Azaria's criminal record.
In the afternoon, commentator Hillel Bitton Rosen accused the IDF Chief of Staff of making a political decision against the defense minister's position, after the military top brass opposed expunging Elor Azaria's criminal record. The criticism comes hours after the IDF formally rejected Azaria's request and forwarded its stance to Defense Minister Israel Katz, as The Zioneer reported at 11:13 Jerusalem.
Earlier today at 11:13 Jerusalem, the IDF confirmed that the Military Advocate General, the Manpower Directorate, and the Chief of Staff had jointly concluded that the circumstances of Azaria's case do not warrant expunging his record. The timeline began with Defense Minister Katz's formal request to President Isaac Herzog for a pardon, and his subsequent supporting opinion, which the IDF opposed from the start. The military's position has been consistent across multiple statements, all published by The Zioneer at 11:13 Jerusalem.
As The Zioneer reported earlier today, former defense minister Moshe (Bogi) Ya'alon, who resigned over the 2016 Azaria affair, wrote that there is room to consider expunging the record. Ya'alon's statement adds a notable voice to the debate, coming from a figure who had originally opposed Azaria's actions. Bitton Rosen, a senior commentator, has previously criticized the military on other issues, but his accusation in this case is a new development in the current thread.
It remains unclear whether Defense Minister Katz will respond to the IDF's forwarded stance, or whether President Herzog will act on the pardon request. No official comment from the Chief of Staff or the defense minister on Bitton Rosen's accusation has been reported.
6 developments
- DevelopingYa'alon: 'Room to consider' expunging Elor Azaria's criminal record
- DevelopingBitton Rosen: Army, Defense Ministry failing to ease reservist burden, blaming Haredim
- DevelopingBitton Rosen: change to restrictive fire orders in Lebanon is a moral disgrace
- StrongKatz seeks swift IDF opinion on expunging Elor Azaria's criminal record
Source and signal
- Internal intake