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Netanyahu and Ya'alon
Photo: EPA

Ya'alon seeks to justify premature statements on Azaria

Former defense minister’s comments come in response to criticism levelled against him by the courts at Sgt. Elor Azaria’s sentencing, denouncing him for condemning the soldier in the midst of the investigation: Ya’alon says he, the PM and IDF chief took decision together ‘to prevent this incident from being used as proof of the Palestinian blood libel theory that we perform extrajudicial executions.’

Former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon issued a statement Tuesday afternoon in response to criticism levelled against him by the military court for publicly condemning Sgt. Elor Azaria prior to the conclusion of the investigation against him.

 

 

Azaria was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment earlier on Tuesday after being convicted in January of the manslaughter of a neutralized terrorist who had carried out a stabbing attack in Hebron just moments earlier in March 2016.

 

“Labelling the defendant’s actions as things that damage the IDF’s values even before the conclusion of the investigation could have caused harm,” said the head Judge of the panel in Azaria’s case, Col. Maya Heller. “The defense minister and other began making comments while the investigation was just starting. When it comes to investigative matters, it is best to wait until the picture becomes clearer.

 

Moshe Ya'alon (Photo: Zvika Tishler)
Moshe Ya'alon (Photo: Zvika Tishler)

 

However, Ya’alon insisted that the picture was already clear to him.

 

“To the prime minister, the IDF Chief of Staff and to me, it was immediately clear at the end of the initial military investigation that we were talking about an exceptional situation,” Ya’alon said during a conference near the Dead Sea.

 

“That is why, in a joint decision, we came out together with a statement a few hours after the incident in order to prevent a flare up in the (hostile zones), in order to prevent this incident from being used as proof of the Palestinian blood libel theory that seeks to label us, time and again, as the State of Israel and the soldiers of the IDF who perform extrajudicial executions.

 

Judge Maya Heller (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Judge Maya Heller (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

 

“We did this out of responsibility for the security of the state,” he added as he sought to justify what many observers denounced as premature statements, which influenced the verdict from the trial’s inception.

 

Ya’alon also said that his comments, along with those of Prime Minister Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, were made before the launching of a criminal investigation and that he was compelled to say something in defense of the courts, which he said were coming under attack from various MKs at the time.

 

“I was forced to say something later on when I saw MKs (Avigdor) Lieberman and (Oren) Hazan attack the military courts...and I warned that the rules of opening fire in the IDF will be decided by the chief of staff and not by militant gangs. This was also done out of responsibility as the defense minister,” he continued.

 

Netanyahu and Ya'alon (Photo: AFP)
Netanyahu and Ya'alon (Photo: AFP)

 

His statements were made to counter the attacks being waged by politicians against IDF commanders, and particularly Eisenkot, who was compared to notorious figures in Jewish history and who was called upon to resign, Ya’alon asserted.

 

“Who will protect the IDF if not the defense minister? All the fiery individuals? Will Facebook and Twitter give me the lessons on fighting terror or on what an enemy is or how to win? Will it teach me the ethics of war? Who, among all these tempestuous people, has seen more soldiers and enemies and terrorist, or was forced to kill them more than me,” asked Ya’alon, who also served as chief of staff.

 

On the day of the stabbing and the shooting, Prime Minister Netanyahu also came out publicly against Azaria. “What happened in Hebron does not represent the values of the IDF. The IDF expects from its soldiers to act with level headedness and in accordance with the rules of engagement,” he said.

 

Netanyahu and Charlie Azaria (Photo: Motti Kimchi and Kobi Gideo/GPO)
Netanyahu and Charlie Azaria (Photo: Motti Kimchi and Kobi Gideo/GPO)

 

Shortly thereafter however, Netanyahu changed his tune and at the end of March, he held a telephone conversation with Charlie Azaria, Elor’s father, which made headlines.

 

“I understand your pain," he told Charlie. “I have full faith in the IDF and its chief of staff, and that I think you, too, should have faith in the commanders and examination, just as the people of Israel need to stay united around its army. We only have one army, with many more challenges ahead of us,” Netanyahu added.

 

The prime minister became more outspoken in Azaria’s defense in January after he was convicted in January of manslaughter, declaring publicly that he supported him being pardoned.  

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.21.17, 20:22
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