JERUSALEM // Israeli police arrested two people on Thursday after death threats emerged online against a judge over the manslaughter conviction of a soldier who shot dead a wounded Palestinian assailant.
Israel’s military has also assigned bodyguards to the three judges who found the 20-year-old Sergeant Elor Azaria guilty on Wednesday and the Palestinian activist who filmed the crime now says he fears for his life. Imad Abu Shimsiyya told Maan, the Palestinian news agency, that he had received hundreds of death threats and claimed that members of Azaria’s family had broken into his house and asked him to change his testimony.
Mr Abu Shimsiiya said he had also filmed that incident.
“I have received hundreds of messages from Israeli settlers threatening me and they have tried to pay me bribes to convince me to change my testimony in court,” he told Maan.
Azaria killed Abdul Fatah Al Sharif by shooting him execution-style as he lay motionless and already badly wounded on the ground in the West Bank city of Hebron last March. The soldier is now awaiting sentencing.
The case sparked outrage and deeply divided Israel and its leadership. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for Azaria to be pardoned – a position apparently supported by 70 per cent of Israelis, according to the pro-Netanyahu newspaper Israel Hayom.
It is also what many Palestinians expect will happen. On Salah El Din Street, the bustling main thoroughfare of Arab East Jerusalem, the prevailing opinion on Thursday was that Israelis feel killing Arabs is acceptable. In Jewish West Jerusalem, meanwhile, many Israelis voiced anger or disappointment with the military justice system, arguing that the judging panel should have taken into account Azaria’s youth and the fact that 21-year-old Al Sharif had stabbed and wounded a soldier.
“It’s all a game and then they will pardon him,” said Hazem Abu Najib, 45, owner of a clothing store. “After two years visit me again – he will be free.”
The policy of the Israeli government was to shoot Palestinians, he added, for offences as minor as being in the wrong lane at military checkpoints.
“A pardon is expected,” said Firas Qawasme, a lawyer. “What we are seeing is theatre to make it look like there is law.”
Bookstore owner Imad Muna said Israel had employed a “double standard” by putting the soldier on trial for manslaughter rather than murder. “If it was a Palestinian who did it, they would try him for murder,” he said. “This soldier came from the society and the army teaches to kill immediately in the case of a Palestinian. “They have to teach differently. They kill Palestinians without thinking twice. The blood of the Palestinian is cheap. It’s not a big deal for them.” Pensioner Marwan Kaswineh said: “A small Palestinian boy will get years for throwing stones but this soldier will get nothing. They will not only pardon him, they will promote him.”
But in West Jerusalem’s Emek Refaim Street, there was anger over the verdict. “This is a disgrace and embarrassment to the country, the army, and those who were killed in wars to save us,” said Yakir Siso, 26, a manager of a petrol station. “He should be demoted yes, but not go to jail. He didn’t kill just anyone, he killed a terrorist who stabbed soldiers. Elor thought his life was in danger. I would do the same thing.”
Mr Siso voiced disdain for the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, which distributed the video of the killing, and the “extreme left”, which had forced Azaria to be put on trial when the matter could easily have been handled by a disciplinary hearing, he said.
Uzi Nigri, 56, who runs a stationery and school supplies store, said Azaria “made a mistake and deserves to be punished”.
“I’m not saying he should be put away for a huge number of years but as far as ethics goes, he failed. We need to safeguard the morality of the army.”
Mr Nigri said he was disturbed by reports of threats against military judge Col Maya Heller and the army chief of staff Lt Gen Gadi Eisencott after the verdict. “The moral level of the society has declined and the government doesn’t sufficiently condemn those who make the threats.”
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
* additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
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MATCH INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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UJDA CHAMAN
Produced: Panorama Studios International
Directed: Abhishek Pathak
Cast: Sunny Singh, Maanvi Gagroo, Grusha Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla
Rating: 3.5 /5 stars
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
And%20Just%20Like%20That...
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Company%20profile
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
More on Quran memorisation:
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.