Liberman backs troops filmed being slapped by Palestinian girl

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman says he supports the IDF soldiers who were filmed last week getting slapped and harassed by a Palestinian teenage girl, after the video footage raised concerns that the servicemen should have reacted more forcefully in response to the provocation.

“No soldier is a computer and no one knows how to make the most correct decision every second. That’s why I gave support to Elor Azaria” — an IDF soldier convicted of manslaughter for killing a disarmed Palestinian assailant — “and also to the soldiers from the incident whose footage was revealed yesterday,” the defense minister says.

Liberman makes his remarks to a group of soldiers with whom he was lighting the eighth and final candle for the Hannukah holiday.

“We all support all the soldiers. You have to understand that there are complicated situations and no matter what, the political leadership and military leadership will back up every soldier,” Liberman adds.

— Judah Ari Gross