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Photo: Gil Yohanan
Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit
Photo: Gil Yohanan

Two arrested for threatening judges in Azaria trial

Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit has ordered an investigation into incitement to violence after protestors threaten the lives of IDF chief of staff, military judges who sentenced Azaria.

Israeli police said on Thursday they arrested two people for inciting violence on social media against three military judges who convicted a soldier of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian attacker.

 

 

One person wrote that “someone should take a grenade and blow up (Judge Maya Heller), and spread the remaining bits of her around so that her body will be eaten by dogs. G-d will pay her back for this!!!!”

 

The judges found Sergeant Elor Azaria, 20, guilty of the charge on Wednesday, and supporters have set up several Facebook pages urging Israel's president to pardon him.

 

Attorney-General Avihai Mandelblit later ordered an investigation into incitement to violence by demonstrators who warned they would take retribution against IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-

General Gadi Eisencott, who has spoken strongly against Azaria's actions.

 

Protestors inciting against IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisencott
Protestors inciting against IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisencott

 

Protestors chanted “Gadi Gadi be careful, Rabin is looking for a friend,” referencing the assassination of Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. At Rabin’s funeral, then US President Bill Clinton departed from the Israeli prime minister saying in Hebrew “goodbye friend.”

 

Another protestor even grabbed a microphone and yelled at Maj. General Eisencott

 

"Inciting language against judges, military officers, law enforcement officials, or any person is unacceptable," Mandelblit said in a statement.

 

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said officers had arrested a man in Jerusalem and a woman in the southern town of Kiryat Gat whose social media comments constituted "incitement to violence" against the judges.

 

Ten months ago, Azaria was an army medic serving in the city of Hebron in the West Bank when two Palestinians stabbed a fellow soldier.

 

One of the assailants was shot dead by troops. The other, Abd Elfatah Ashareef, 21, was wounded and lay on the ground incapacitated when Azaria shot him in the head with an assault rifle.

 

A poll published on Wednesday by Israel's Channel 2 television showed that 67 percent of respondents favor a pardon for Azaria. Many right-leaning politicians advocate the same.

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.05.17, 21:22
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