Israel’s deputy defense minister announced Saturday his proposal for a bill that would grant Israeli Defense Force soldiers a license to kill with complete immunity.
RELATED:
Israel PM Wants Killer Soldier Pardoned Despite His Grave Crime
Eli Ben Dahan’s proposal would give soldiers and police officers the ability to shoot to kill — before, during, or after a military operation, and no matter if the act is justified or not.
“The law sends a clear message to IDF soldiers: just as they protect us, we will protect you as well,” Dahan told local media outlet, Srugim, Saturday, 972 Mag reported.
The bill will allow these forces to “enjoy immunity from actions they carried out or refrained from carrying out, and all before, after, and during an operational activity or terrorist attack that was not part of the day-to-day operational activities of the unit in which he/she works or serves,” quoted 972 Mag.
It also refers to situations beyond those where Israeli or Jewish lives are in danger, as the IDF’s open-fire regulations already protect that.
Dahan’s bill comes in response to the recent conviction of 20-year-old Sgt. Elor Azaria, found guilty Wednesday for his March 2016 killing of a 21-year-old Palestinian assailant who was bleeding and immobilized on the ground.
RELATED:
Israeli Judges Face Death Threats over Killer Soldier Verdict
The case has emboldened Israel’s far-right, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who are calling for Azaria to be pardoned. Some have even issued death threats against the three-judge panel that handed down the verdict and have been arrested as a result.
The case became iconic after the video of the shooting went viral online. It depicted 21-year old Abdul Fatah Sharif lying on the ground, bleeding after being shot along with another man after stabbing and moderately wounding an Israeli soldier minutes earlier. Azaria can then be seen fatally shooting Sharif for no apparent reason, as he was already immobilized.
Dahan, a rabbi who belongs to the Jewish Home party, has previously called Palestinians sub-human and also made the remark that “even homosexual Jews are superior to non-Jews.”
