Hebron shooter’s lawyer casts doubt on commander’s testimony

Elor Azaria’s defense attorney Yoram Sheftel points to the company commander’s first testimony after the incident, in which he didn’t say Azaria said he killed the assailant because he deserved to die. Initially the commander only said Azaria told him he killed the assailant because he moved.

Judge Segal presses Sheftel to explain how he can claim that Azaria told the company commander that he shot the assailant because he moved when Azaria later testified that he told the commander that he shot the assailant because he was afraid of a bomb.

Sheftel says the defense doesn’t have to prove anything.

He says the issue is what the company commander and another soldier who also testified that Azaria said the assailant deserved to die, not what Azaria testified.

“On (their testimonies) the case will stand and fall,” he says.

— Judah Ari Gross