Some more virtue signalling
US imposes visa restrictions on former Israeli military sergeant
The restrictions on Sergeant Elor Azaria are for involvement in an extrajudicial killing in the occupied West Bank.
Azaria shot dead an injured Palestinian, Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, in Hebron in 2016. Al-Sharif had been lying wounded on the ground after allegedly stabbing and wounding a soldier, before Azaria walked up to him and killed him without apparent provocation. The incident was filmed by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem and quickly went viral.
Azaria was convicted of manslaughter by an Israeli court, but was only sentenced to 18 months, later reduced by four months. He was eventually released from prison in May 2018, having served almost nine months.
The US Department of State said in a statement on Wednesday that “Azaria and any immediate family members are generally ineligible for entry into the United States”.
It added that it was “taking steps to impose visa restrictions on an additional group of individuals for having been involved in or meaningfully contributed to undermining the peace, security, or stability in the West Bank” including “violence against persons or property, or unduly restrict[ing] civilians access to essential services and basic necessities”.
The US has imposed sanctions against some Israeli settlers accused of committing violence against Palestinians, but critics point out that these sanctions don’t go far enough, with Washington continuing to back Israel in its war on Gaza, including by supplying weapons, and offering little path forward for Palestinian statehood.
Gantz criticises US for sanctions on Israeli who killed Palestinian
Israeli opposition politician Benny Gantz, who served in Israel’s war cabinet until his resignation last month, said that Israel had “an independent, robust judicial system that is both capable and willing to punish under Israeli law”.
“I want to convey to our American friends – there is no justification to interfere in Israel’s legal processes,” he added.
Azaria was captured on video walking up to an injured Palestinian, Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, and killing him in 2016. He was sentenced to only 18 months by an Israeli court but ultimately served almost nine months before his release in 2018.
See my previous post...
