Elor Azaria issued his first public response to the expunging of his criminal record, thanking President Isaac Herzog, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and his family. The statement comes hours after Herzog signed the pardon, overriding opposition from the IDF chief of staff.
Elor Azaria on Saturday evening delivered his first public statement since President Isaac Herzog expunged his criminal record, expressing gratitude to God, the Israeli people, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and President Herzog. 'Blessed be He who has brought us to this moment,' Azaria said in remarks carried by Channel 14, thanking his lawyer Limor Baruch and his family for their support throughout the decade-long saga.
The statement came hours after a series of rapid developments reported by The Zioneer at 19:34 Jerusalem: President Herzog signed the expungement of Azaria's criminal record, following Defense Minister Israel Katz's signing of the pardon form. The move proceeded despite formal opposition from IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Shortly afterward, the President's Residence clarified that Azaria had expressed remorse during the pardon process, something he had not done publicly before. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir welcomed the decision and called on Herzog to also pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing what he described as fabricated cases.
The Zioneer's coverage of the Azaria affair has tracked the legal and political process over recent months. On June 29, The Zioneer reported that Katz had approached IDF legal officials for a rapid opinion on expunging Azaria's record. On July 14, The Zioneer noted that former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon, who resigned over the 2016 incident, had written that a decade later there was room to consider erasing the record. The same day, Katz signed the cancellation of the criminal record, passing the decision to the president.
No further details have emerged from Azaria's camp regarding his next steps or personal plans. The expungement ends the formal legal consequences of the 2016 conviction, but the case continues to resonate in Israel's ongoing debate over rules of engagement and military discipline in Judea and Samaria.
8 developments
- DevelopingDefense Minister Katz signs cancellation of Elor Azaria's criminal record; decision now to President
- DevelopingDefense minister leans toward erasing Elor Azaria's criminal record, report says
- StrongKatz seeks swift IDF opinion on expunging Elor Azaria's criminal record
- DevelopingYa'alon: 'Room to consider' expunging Elor Azaria's criminal record
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