Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday submitted a formal request to President Isaac Herzog to expunge the criminal record of former IDF soldier Elor Azaria, according to Israeli media reports. The request follows Katz's earlier submission of a supporting opinion, while the IDF and military justice continue to oppose the move.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday formally submitted a request to President Isaac Herzog to expunge the criminal record of former IDF soldier Elor Azaria, The Zioneer reports. The submission, at around 12:24 Jerusalem, follows Katz's earlier submission of a supporting opinion at 11:13 Jerusalem, as The Zioneer reported. The IDF Chief of Staff and the military justice system have opposed the move, citing Azaria's lack of remorse and no change in circumstances.
The thread of developments shows that at 11:13 Jerusalem, Katz submitted a formal opinion supporting the expungement, and the IDF immediately opposed. The Deputy Military Advocate General noted that this is Azaria's third application. Earlier on Monday, Channel 14 reported that Katz was leaning toward recommending expungement and had approached IDF legal officials for a rapid opinion, as The Zioneer reported at 23:43 Jerusalem. Former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon, who resigned over the 2016 affair, wrote at 11:58 Jerusalem that there is room to consider the expungement, adding a notable voice to the debate.
Azaria was convicted of manslaughter in 2016 for shooting a wounded Palestinian attacker in Hebron, a case that sparked a national debate on military ethics. He served nine months of an 18-month sentence. The Zioneer has previously reported on the background of the case.
President Herzog has not yet responded to the request. The decision now rests with him, and the military justice system remains opposed to any expungement.
5 developments
- StrongKatz seeks swift IDF opinion on expunging Elor Azaria's criminal record
- DevelopingPresident's Residence says it has not yet received IDF assessments on Azaria record expungement request
- DevelopingDefense minister leans toward erasing Elor Azaria's criminal record, report says
- DevelopingYa'alon: 'Room to consider' expunging Elor Azaria's criminal record
Source and signal
- Internal intake