President Isaac Herzog has cleared the criminal record of former IDF soldier Elor Azaria six years before the scheduled expiration of ancillary penalties, The Zioneer reports. Defense Minister Israel Katz welcomed the move, while IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and senior military officers opposed it. The presidency stressed that the pardon does not overturn Azaria's manslaughter conviction.
President Isaac Herzog officially expunged the criminal record of former IDF soldier Elor Azaria on Saturday evening, six years before the record was due to be automatically cleared. The move followed Defense Minister Israel Katz's signing of the pardon form earlier this week — a step that proceeded despite opposition from IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and senior military officers, as The Zioneer reported. The presidency stressed that the pardon does not overturn the manslaughter conviction, but removes the ancillary criminal record.
Following the expungement, Katz spoke with Azaria on Saturday evening, congratulating him and emphasizing the importance of supporting soldiers who find themselves in complex situations. Azaria thanked President Herzog, Katz, and his family in his first public response. The President's Residence clarified that Azaria expressed remorse during the pardon process, something he had not done previously. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir welcomed the move and called on Herzog to also pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Azaria case dates back to March 2016, when the Kfir Brigade soldier neutralized a wounded Palestinian attacker in Hebron. He was convicted of manslaughter and served nine months of an 18-month sentence. As The Zioneer has reported, the push for clemency gained momentum over the past year: Katz first sought a rapid IDF opinion on expunging the record in June, signed the pardon form in July, and former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon — who had opposed Azaria at the time — also said there was room to consider the erasure a decade after the incident.
The expungement brings formal closure to the legal saga, though the broader national debate over military ethics and the relationship between the political and military echelons continues.
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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