Elor Azaria, the Israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter after shooting wounded Palestinian Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sharif in the head, was sentenced to just 18 months in jail. According to UN human rights officer, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank since September 2015. Azaria is the only one to face trial, and this is because a Palestinian managed to film the killing. Many Israelis consider Azaria a popular hero and are outraged, and the Prime Minister Netenyahu has backed a pardon. By contrast many other commentators consider that he should have got a long murder sentence. Palestinian children get longer sentences for throwing stones, says Mondweiss, while Haaretz points out that an Israeli soldier got 11 months for smoking weed. The derisory sentence reinforces the state of impunity under which the Israeli military operates.
Elor Azaria executing a disarmed Palestinian, and in court
