ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 63

search

Liberman: Reporters keeping soldiers from doing their jobs

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman accuses the Israeli press of preventing IDF soldiers from being able to do their job over fear that they will be judged harshly in the media.

“I would expect from the Israeli press to work hard to strengthen the Israeli deterrent capability against our enemies and not deter Israeli soldiers from fighting terrorists and fighting terror,” Liberman says during a tour of southern Bedouin communities.

“I want a free press, not a press that deters IDF soldiers,” he adds, during a tour of southern Israel.

Liberman’s comments come amid two developing cases in which soldiers have been suspected of killing Palestinians without cause.

Elor Azaria is currently standing trial for an incident in March in which he shot dead a disarmed Palestinian assailant following a stabbing attack in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Elor Azaria, center, during a hearing in his manslaughter trial at a military court in Jaffa, August 28, 2016. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
Elor Azaria, center, during a hearing in his manslaughter trial at a military court in Jaffa, August 28, 2016. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

In the second case, a soldier from the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion shot and killed a Palestinian man who approached an army outpost near the West Bank settlement of Ofra on Friday. Though he has not been formally charged, the Netzah Yehuda soldier has been questioned by Military Police “in connection with the killing,” an army official told The Times of Israel.

During the tour, Liberman tells reporters: “Remember that in Israel, like in every democratic country, the only one that convicts is the court of law. Not the press, but the court. So long as the person hasn’t been convicted, they are innocent, and that includes Elor Azaria and the soldier from Netzah Yehuda.”

“Another thing, I want to remind you that people are fighting terror on a daily basis, fighting terrorists, they can’t go out to a mission with an attorney at their side and therefore sometimes the thought process is correct and sometimes it is not,” Liberman says.

— Judah Ari Gross

Never miss breaking news on Israel
Get notifications to stay updated
You're subscribed
image
Register for free
and continue reading
Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. It takes just a few seconds.
Already registered? Enter your email to sign in.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Once registered, you’ll receive our Daily Edition email for free.
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.