Israeli court sentences soldier who killed immobilized Palestinian to 18 months in prison

Sgt. Elor Azaria sentenced to 18 months in prison

(Image credit: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images)

published 21 February 2017

On Tuesday, an Israeli military court handed Sgt. Elor Azaria an 18-month prison sentence for fatally shooting a wounded Palestinian knife attacker in Hebron last March, less than the 3-5 years sought by prosecutors. The shooting of the 21-year-old Palestinian man, captured on video, split opinion in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies calling for Azaria to be pardoned and military officials arguing that a soldier shooting a disarmed, immobilized prisoner is contrary to Israeli military values. A three-judge military judicial panel had convicted Azaria of manslaughter in January.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.