JERUSALEM (VINnews)-Defense Minister Israel Katz has submitted a request to President Isaac Herzog to pardon former Israeli soldier Elor Azaria, convicted of manslaughter for killing an incapacitated Palestinian attacker in Hebron in 2016, citing the passage of time and the message it sends to IDF troops.

Katz made the request ahead of the Likud party’s primaries and Israel’s upcoming election. In a statement, he described Azaria as an “outstanding soldier” who should not continue to pay a heavy price nearly a decade after the incident.

“It is unreasonable that after a decade, an outstanding soldier who was convicted of an offense committed during his operational service should continue to pay such a heavy price,” Katz said. “Azaria’s conviction sends a negative message to our sons and daughters who are sent to face danger and serve in combat units and dangerous places.”

He added: “There is room to allow Elor to rehabilitate himself and begin a new life.”

The pardon request seeks to shorten the period before Azaria’s criminal record is automatically cleared. Azaria has always maintained he acted correctly when he shot Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, a Palestinian who had stabbed an Israeli soldier and was already subdued, on March 24, 2016.

Azaria served nine months of an 18-month prison sentence.

The Israel Defense Forces opposes shortening the duration of Azaria’s criminal record, noting that he has never expressed remorse for his actions.

In a letter to the Defense Ministry, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Personnel Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa stated that “the request should not be granted.”

“By law, the general rule is that a criminal record shall accompany the convicted individual in accordance with the prescribed timeframes, whereas granting a pardon is the exception, to be applied only under exceptional and weighty circumstances,” the letter, signed by Zamir’s assistant Col. Alon Laniado, reads.

The military position, based on the opinion of the deputy military advocate general, cites Azaria’s lack of remorse and responsibility nearly a decade after his military court conviction, the absence of new circumstances, and no significant personal factors warranting a change.

A formal military opinion has not yet reached President Herzog’s office. There was no immediate comment from Herzog.

The case has remained a flashpoint in Israeli society, with supporters viewing Azaria as a soldier unfairly punished for acting in a dangerous combat environment, while critics argue it upholds military discipline and ethical standards.