Israeli President Isaac Herzog pardoned former soldier Elor Azaria, clearing his manslaughter conviction for killing a wounded Palestinian in 2016, despite army opposition and mixed domestic and international reactions.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that he had shortened the remaining erasure period on former army medic Elor Azaria’s criminal record, effectively clearing his 2017 manslaughter conviction for shooting wounded Palestinian Abdel Fattah al‑Sharif in Hebron in March 2016. The decision was made after Defence Minister Israel Katz requested a pardon in July and was justified by the president’s office on the basis of the passage of time, completion of Azaria’s sentence and the remorse he has expressed.
The move faced opposition from the Israeli army’s senior leadership. Lieutenant‑General Eyal Zamir, the army chief of staff, and other senior officers wrote to the defence minister that Azaria had not expressed remorse or taken responsibility even a decade after his conviction. Herzog’s office said it had taken the military’s position into account but concluded the circumstances warranted allowing Azaria to "open a new chapter in his life."
Defence Minister Katz welcomed the pardon on X, saying it sends an important message to soldiers and their families. Far‑right National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir called the decision "deeply moving" and urged a similar pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The United Nations human‑rights office had previously described Azaria’s original sentence as "excessively lenient" and warned it could reinforce a culture of impunity. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the 2016 shooting as an "extrajudicial execution" and a war crime, while the victim’s family dismissed the legal proceedings as a farce.
The reporting does not provide details on any further legal or diplomatic consequences following the pardon.