Israeli occupation soldier gets hero’s welcome after serving reduced manslaughter term

RAMLA, Israel — An Israeli occupation soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a Palestinian was freed from prison on Tuesday and greeted by supporters as a hero after serving nine months behind bars, half his original sentence.

Elor Azaria was lifted onto the shoulders of a man who was part of a small group of supporters outside his home following his release and he later paraded the streets in celebration in a small convoy of cars and motorcycles.

The former occupation soldier was initially condemned to 18 months in prison for the 2016 killing of Abdul Fatah Al Sharif in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

Israeli occupiying forces Chief of staff, Gadi Eisenkot, later reduced the term by four months, and in March a parole board ordered a further cut, to a total of nine months.

Those critical of Azaria’s sentence have in particular pointed to the jail term of Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi.

She was sentenced to eight months in prison in a plea deal after a video that went viral showed Tamimi, 16 at the time, slapping two Israeli occupation soldiers in the West Bank in December.

Azaria was released two days ahead of schedule, and as word of it spread, supporters began to visit his home in Ramla near Tel Aviv, including the city’s mayor.

Israeli media said he was freed early from Tzrifim military prison to allow him to attend his brother’s wedding. 

A sign outside Azaria’s home said “welcome back Elor the hero”.

‘Nothing we can do’ 

The release however drew further anger from Palestinians, who have called his sentence outrageously short.

The mother of the Palestinian killed by Azaria spoke of her resignation.

“There is nothing we can do,” Rajaa Al Sharif told AFP at her home in Hebron. “This is something natural for them.”

The Palestinian foreign ministry called the sentence “racist”.

It accused Israel of “encouraging the occupation soldiers to continue field executions of unarmed Palestinian citizens with full cover and protection from occupation authorities”. 

The shooting incident was caught on video by a human rights group and spread widely online.

It showed Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after allegedly wounding an occupation soldier, according to Israeli occupation forces.

Some 11 minutes after the initial shooting, Azaria, a sergeant and military medic at the time of the incident, shot him in the head without any apparent provocation.

He claimed he feared Sharif was wearing an explosive belt and could blow himself up, a claim judges rejected.

The trial captivated Israel and highlighted deep divisions in public opinion between those who denounced the shooting and others who said it was justified.

Right-wing politicians, including Netanyahu, called for Azaria to be pardoned.