On the eve of Yom Kippur, Israeli President Isaac Herzog issued a pardon for Elor Azaria, a former Israel Defense Forces soldier convicted in 2017 of manslaughter for fatally shooting a wounded Palestinian attacker in Hebron. Azaria’s conviction followed a highly publicized military trial that centered on footage captured by a B’Tselem volunteer, which showed Azaria shooting Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, who had been incapacitated after stabbing an Israeli soldier.
The incident ignited deep divisions within Israeli society and its political establishment. Initially condemned by then-Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who resigned amid disagreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials, the case quickly shifted as Netanyahu expressed support for Azaria. Public opinion surveys conducted at the time reflected broad backing for clemency, with two-thirds of Israelis supporting a pardon. Subsequently, requests for clemency were made by key political figures, including then-Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Azaria was sentenced to 18 months in prison, later reduced to 14 months by the IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, and ultimately served nine months. Despite the pardon, the military recommended against granting it, citing Azaria’s lack of remorse for his actions.
This episode stands in stark contrast to the highly charged reaction in Israel to the documentary film "NAZA," which exposes alleged IDF war crimes in Gaza. While the Azaria incident was eventually embraced by significant segments of Israeli society as an act of heroism or justified military conduct, "NAZA" has been met with fierce condemnation, denial, and accusations of fabrications from Israeli officials and public figures. The sharp differences in response highlight divergent narratives regarding Israeli actions in the occupied territories.
The Azaria case was made highly visible due to the filmed evidence, but human rights observers have documented numerous similar incidents of lethal force used against Palestinians, often without accountability. Recent events underscore ongoing tensions: in July 2025, a settler named Yinon Levi was filmed shooting at a Palestinian villager in Umm al-Khair, West Bank. Levi was indicted for the shooting, marking only the second indictment of a settler for killing a Palestinian since 2019, despite dozens of deaths related to settler violence documented by human rights groups.
Herzog’s pardon continues a controversial legacy in the country. His father, Chaim Herzog, Israel’s sixth president, notably issued preemptive pardons in 1986 for Shin Bet agents implicated in extrajudicial killings and cover-ups during the Bus 300 affair. Such precedents contribute to ongoing debates about accountability and the rule of law in cases involving Palestinians.
The pardon comes amid a broader context of escalating violence and hardened rhetoric. Following the recent killing of an Israeli settler in the West Bank, settler leader Yossi Dagan called for extensive military operations against Palestinians—a stance supported by prominent government figures in past years. Observers warn that continued military actions may result in further casualties and human rights scrutiny, potentially giving rise to more media documentation like "NAZA," which some Israeli officials reject as misleading.
While "NAZA" has not yet been publicly screened in Israel, the discourse surrounding the film and the Azaria pardon exemplify the persistent polarization over Israeli military conduct in Palestinian territories and the challenges facing efforts to scrutinize alleged violations of international law.