Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Military Court where the Judge Maya Heller picked apart the various claims of IDF Sgt. Elor Azaria prior to handing down a verdict on charges of manslaughter against him.
“Azaria! Azaria!” protesters shouted, even as Judge Heller said, “Azaria acted coldly and with calculation, took his time clearing people. This does not work with acting toward immediate danger.”
Protesters meanwhile were blocking the main road outside the Kirya military base, also home to IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.
It appeared the judge was leading up to a guilty verdict: had she been working towards acquittal, she would not have been listing all of the negative behaviors displayed by the defendant.
Meanwhile, the increasingly distraught protesters were breaking through the blockades police had set up to contain the demonstration.
“We have adopted the conclusion that the terrorist’s death was caused by the shooting by Azaria,” she said, and cited testimony from the soldier’s commanding officer who had recalled the medic had said the terrorist “deserved to die.”
Judge Heller continued her analysis, saying there was no real indication that Azaria felt threatened in any way by the injured terrorist.
Meanwhile, there were reports of police violence and arrests, along with a statement by Israel Police that officers had “arrested two suspects on the spot for violating public order. The protests blocked the Highway 20 to the increases, in both directions.”
The judge discussed the case in the courtroom for more than two hours prior to rendering a decision.
