An Israeli military court convicted an Israeli soldier, Elor Azaria, of manslaughter Wednesday in the fatal shooting of a wounded Palestinian man last March.
The Palestinian man, Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, 21, was one of two men accused of stabbing another Israeli soldier in Hebron, in the West Bank, a few minutes earlier.
Charges were brought after video footage emerged showing Azaria shooting al-Sharif in the head as he lay on the ground, injured and already subdued.
The second Palestinian suspect had already been shot dead.
The case has divided opinion among the Israeli public, politicians and members of the military and focused attention on the military’s code of ethics.
Azaria was serving in Hebron, a majority Palestinian area in the West Bank, when he shot al-Sharif, who was a suspect in a knife attack. The Israeli soldier suffered a minor injury.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, Azaria arrived at the scene about 11 minutes after the attack, put one bullet in his rifle and shot al-Sharif in the head, killing him.
Packed courtroom
The three-member panel of military judges had to consider the motivation for the soldier’s actions. Azaria’s defense argued that he felt his life was in danger, while the prosecution contended that he was motivated by malice and vengeance.
About 50 people packed Courtroom A inside the heavily guarded Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv as they waited for the verdict to be read Wednesday.
On one side of the aisle sat Azaria’s family. On the other side sat the media. Four members of the prosecution, dressed in uniform, waited across from four members of the Azaria’s defense team, dressed in suits.
As Azaria waited, members of his family gave him reassuring hugs and pats on the back. His mother held him tightly.
Protesters chant ‘Our soldier, the hero’
Across the street from the Ministry of Defense compound, a few hundred supporters gathered behind a police security barrier to protest on Azaria’s behalf.
They danced and cheered, shouting, “Our soldier, the hero.”
Some waved Israeli flags and homemade signs that read, “Today: Azaria Tomorrow: Your son.” Other signs said, “The nation is with you!”
Following the attack, the IDF condemned the shooting, calling it a “grave breach of IDF values.”
The Israeli military’s chief of staff has argued that as a soldier, Azaria was obliged to abide by the military’s rules of engagement.
But others, mostly politicians on the right, have argued that Azaria’s actions were justified and that he should never have faced prosecution for killing a terror suspect.