Defense Minister Yisrael Katz submitted a formal request on Tuesday to President Isaac Herzog to shorten the duration of former IDF soldier Elor Azaria’s criminal record.

In 2016, Azaria shot and killed an Arab terrorist who had stabbed an IDF soldier in Chevron. Since the terrorist was already neutralized at the time he shot him, Azaria was arrested and later sentenced to prison for 18 months.

In a letter to the president, Katz noted that more than a decade has passed since the incident and that Azaria completed the prison sentence imposed on him in 2018. He emphasized that the request does not seek to overturn the conviction but rather to shorten the statutory waiting period before the criminal record is erased, now that the legal limitation period has already expired.

“There is no justification for a decorated combat soldier, convicted of an offense committed during his operational service, to continue paying such a heavy price a decade later,” Katz wrote, adding that cosideration should be given to Azaria’s service as a distinguished combat soldier and combat medic in the Kfir Brigade, the circumstances of the incident during an operational mission, the personal, family, and public price he has paid over the years, and his efforts to rehabilitate himself, start a family, and reenter the workforce.

Katz also noted that since the incident, Israel has endured the October 7 massacre and its aftermath, which, he said, underscored the nature of the security threats faced by IDF soldiers. “These events have vividly demonstrated the brutal nature of the Palestinian terrorist ideology that Israel faces and the way our enemies operate with the intent of murdering civilians and soldiers without any moral restraint,” he wrote. “This reality provides broader context for the circumstances in which IDF soldiers have operated over the years against ruthless enemies. At the same time, hundreds of terrorists have been released from Israeli prisons as part of agreements to secure the return of our brothers and sisters held hostage. Under these circumstances, and after Elor has already served his full sentence, it is difficult to justify continuing to impair his ability to fully reintegrate into society, work, and earn a living. This is not about erasing what happened, but about giving effect to the principle of rehabilitation after many years in which he has borne the consequences of his actions, in a manner that reflects both the circumstances of the case and the passage of time.”

Following Katz’s letter, it was reported that the IDF has recommended that Herzog reject Azaria’s request.

In a document submitted to the President’s Residence, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the head of the Personnel Directorate, Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, stated that they oppose granting the request because Azaria “has refrained from expressing remorse or taking responsibility for his actions, even a decade after his conviction by the military court.”

It also notes that no new circumstances have been presented that would justify departing from previous decisions by the President, and that no concrete personal circumstances of sufficient weight were found to warrant granting the request.

They added that their position is based on the opinion of the Deputy Military Advocate General, who is responsible for handling such requests.

Channel 14 journalist Hallel Bitton Rosen responded to the report by stating: “Disgraceful: The IDF Chief of Staff, the Military Advocate General, and the Head of the IDF Personnel Directorate recommended to Defense Minister Israel Katz and President Isaac Herzog that combat soldier Elor Azaria’s criminal record not be erased.”

“Despite the fact that Azaria sent letters to all three of them detailing the difficulty he and his family face in making a dignified living, the IDF’s senior leadership decided to recommend, in an insensitive manner, that his criminal record not be erased.

“Despite their recommendation, Defense Minister Katz did not hesitate and signed the request.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)