Israeli President Pardons Soldier in 2016 Palestinian Killing

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has pardoned former soldier Elor Azaria, clearing his criminal record for the 2016 manslaughter of Palestinian Abdel Fatah al-Sharif in Hebron. The decision, announced on Saturday, comes despite opposition from the Israel Defense Forces and was made in the spirit of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Herzog granted the pardon following a request from Defense Minister Israel Katz, who recommended it as a "right, humane and fitting decision" for a soldier involved in a "complex operational mission." The President's Office stated that the circumstances, passage of time, and Azaria's expressed sorrow justified enabling him to begin a new chapter in his life. The pardon does not overturn Azaria's original conviction or invalidate the military court proceedings, according to the President's Office. It also does not remove a U.S. travel ban imposed on Azaria and his immediate family by the Biden administration in 2024, which remains in effect. Azaria, then a sergeant and military medic, was filmed shooting al-Sharif in the head in March 2016.