Israel's president pardons former soldier Elor Azaria for 2015 manslaughter of wounded Palestinian attacker

On Saturday, Israel's President Isaac Herzog pardoned Elor Azaria, a former combat medic who was convicted of manslaughter for shooting a badly wounded Palestinian attacker in the West Bank in 2015. Azaria had already served two-thirds of his 18-month sentence and been released. The pardon, announced on the eve of Yom Kippur, was based on a recommendation from Defense Minister Israel Katz. It cancels Azaria's criminal record. The case had sparked national debate about military conduct. Some politicians welcomed the pardon, while Palestinians and human rights groups criticized it as too lenient.