After 10 months of proceedings that attracted nationwide and worldwide attention, the Military Court of Jaffa is due to hand down a verdict on Wednesday in the case of Sgt. Elor Azaria, the IDF soldier who shot a Palestinian terrorist after the latter was immobilized and on the ground. The army believes that Azaria will be convicted of manslaughter, and the military is concerned about how the public would take a guilty verdict. The judges can also convict Azaria on a lesser charge or charges, such as illegal use of his weapon or conduct unbecoming, which would be considered a win for Azaria's defense team. If Azaria is convicted, a date will be announced for his sentencing hearing. In summations, military prosecutor Lt. Col. Nadav Weisman argued that throughout the trial, Azaria had lied, changed his story, made up stories about his commanders, and was unworthy of goodwill. Weisman asked the three judges to rule that Azaria's arguments were "empty" and emphasized that "there is no question that the defendant acted illegally, and the law requires that he be convicted of the crimes he is accused of." Azaria's lawyers, in their own summation, argued that their client was innocent. They argued that if former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon had not said that the soldier was in error prior to the operational inquiry, the trial would not have made as big a splash in the media. Addressing the judges, Azaria's attorneys said that if he were convicted, it would "endanger the lives of soldiers in the field. Every soldier that sets out on a mission and subjectively thinks that there is danger will think he'll have to stand trial." The defense team stressed that if their client were convicted, it could "cost IDF forces dearly. You cannot live in a bubble, not thinking of the ramifications. This is a ruling that carries with it real meaning for the field the next day," Besserglick and Katz said.
Azaria's defense attorneys Eyal Besserglick and Ilan Katz argued throughout his trial that the head judge of the panel, Col. Maya Heller, was not objective and wanted to convict Azaria. But a majority of the three-judge panel is required to convict Azaria of manslaughters, which means that at least one of the other two judges in the trial, Lt. Col. Carmel Wahabi and Lt. Col. Yaron Sitbon, would also have to convict him.
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Court to announce verdict in Hebron shooting on Wednesday
Ten months of proceedings in case of Sgt. Elor Azaria, who shot an immobilized Palestinian terrorist, made waves in Israel and abroad • Prosecution: Azaria acted illegally, is undeserving of goodwill • Defense: A guilty verdict puts all troops at risk.