TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) – An Israeli military court on Wednesday was set to deliver its verdict in the case of a soldier on trial for manslaughter in the deadly shooting of an incapacitated Palestinian attacker, capping a nine-month saga that has deeply divided the country.
Defense officials have criticized Sgt. Elor Azaria’s conduct, while large segments of the Israeli public, along with members of the nationalist ruling coalition, have rallied behind him.
Azaria was caught on video fatally shooting a wounded Palestinian attacker who had stabbed a soldier in the West Bank city of Hebron in March. The Palestinian was lying motionless on the ground when Azaria shot him in the head.
Hundreds of the soldier’s supporters gathered outside the military court in Tel Aviv ahead of the verdict. The crowd, holding large Israeli flags and banners that said “the nation is with you” periodically scuffled with police.
In delivering her verdict, Col. Maya Heller systematically rejected all of Azaria’s defense arguments. Heller still had not delivered the court’s decision more than two hours into the proceedings.
Azaria entered the courtroom with a big smile on his face, and was warmly greeted by relatives. But as Heller continued to deliver the decision, Azaria grew serious and his parents, seated next to him, appeared distraught.
The shooting occurred at the height of a more than yearlong wave of violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Azaria’s defenders have said he shot the assailant in an act of self-defense, thinking that the attacker might be carrying explosives. Hard-line politicians have said he should be either cleared or released with a light penalty.
But his detractors, including senior military commanders, have said his actions violated the army’s code of ethics and military procedures.
The uproar has put the army in a delicate position. Military service is compulsory for Israel’s Jewish majority, and there is widespread sympathy for soldiers, since virtually every family has a member who is serving or has served in the past.
The dispute helped fuel the resignation of Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, who sided with the military, earlier this year. His successor, Avigdor Lieberman, visited Azaria in court. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the pro-settler Jewish Home Party, has also sided with Azaria.
After initially siding with the army, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu softened his position, taking the rare step of calling Azaria’s parents to console them.
But ahead of the verdict, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, the military chief, said that an 18-year-old soldier is “not everyone’s child.” His comments were seen as going against the nationalist tide supporting the young soldier.