Israel reportedly returns body of terrorist shot by Elor Azariya
May 27, 2016Palestinian Authority-based media reported on Friday evening that Israel had returned the body of Abdel-Fattah al-Sharif, the terrorist who was shot by IDF soldier Elor Azariya in Hevron.
Al-Sharif’s funeral will reportedly be held on Saturday in Hevron. According to the PA reports, his body was transferred through the Tarqumiyah crossing.
Azariya, of course, is currently on trial after he shot Al-Sharif while he was wounded after carrying out a terrorist attack.
Azariya has argued that he shot the terrorist – who minutes earlier together with an accomplice stabbed and wounded a soldier – out of fears he was moving to detonate a bomb belt. It has been confirmed that concerns over the presence of a bomb belt had not been ruled out.
His lawyers argue that politicians have interfered with the case, not only through outgoing Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s (Likud) ceaseless condemnation of the soldier, but also due to the fact that military prosecutor Lt. Col. (res) Nadav Weissman was called up for reserve duty for the express purpose of prosecuting the case.
Al-Sharif’s body was returned to the PA despite previous promises by the government to stop the transfer of terrorists’ bodies, though this is not the first time that Israel has done so after promising to cease the practice.
The policy has been a bone of contention between former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who in the past has argued that the return of terrorists’ bodies to their families prevents escalations, and Internal Security Minister Gild Erdan, who has opposed such transfers.
Ya’alon, who determines IDF policy in Judea and Samaria, opted to return the bodies of slain terrorists, while Erdan, who has authority over the transfers of terrorists from within Israeli sovereign territory, had in the past prevented such handovers.
In recent months, however, Israel has begun to transfer the bodies of eastern Jerusalem terrorists, under the condition that their burial be conducted immediately following the return, and not involve large displays of public support for the terrorists and their actions.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
Similar posts
-
Israel Has The Most Moral Military In The World
April 10, 2024In the heart of a region often riddled with conflict, Israel stands out not only for its technologi...
-
The Resilience of the Israeli People
April 2, 2024Visitors from around the world have seen Hamas's October 7th Massacre's destruction in southern Isr...
-
Israel: Small Size, Big Impact
March 21, 2024Nestled along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is a land of immense historical sig...
-
Israelis Are Fighting For Their Lives
February 21, 2024By Jonathan S. Tobin The world looks a lot different from Kibbutz Kfar Aza than it does in the U...
-
Over 2 Million Arabs Live In Israel
January 23, 2024In the complex landscape of the Middle East, where diverse cultures and identities intersect, Israe...
-
'Fauda' Star Idan Amedi Injured Fighting in Gaza
January 8, 2024Despite the severity of his injuries, Amedi's father assured Israeli news channels that his life is...
-
Israel Is A Great Country To Live In
December 28, 2023Nestled at the crossroads of the Middle East, Israel stands as a vibrant and dynamic nation, offeri...
-
Women's Empowerment in Israel
December 15, 2023In recent decades, Israel has witnessed a remarkable evolution in the status and empowerment of wom...
