Defense Minister: Media scandal harms case of Hebron soldier

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman sent a letter to the lawyer of the Israeli soldier Elor Azariya, who was convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead an injured terrorist, asking the family to cool its ties with the media as harmful to his case.

The military court has yet to hand down sentence.The minister added: "I am sorry for the way this issue was handled; it was mishandled from the start… and those mistakes have forced us into a place we should never have reached… We must remember that at issue are an excellent IDF soldier, on the one hand, and a terrorist who tried to kill IDF soldiers, on the other.

“As Defense Minister, I agree with the vast majority of Israeli citizens. I feel distinctly uncomfortable with the court's ruling. I feel compassion for the soldier and his family. I also worry about the IDF's strength and national unity.”