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Israelis enjoy free pass to kill Palestinians: Commentator

Thursday, 02 March 2017 9:53 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 02 March 2017 9:53 AM ]

Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (R), who shot dead a wounded Palestinian assailant in March 2016, is embraced by his mother Oshra (L) at the start of his sentencing hearing in a military court in Tel Aviv on February 21, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

An Israeli soldier, sentenced to 18 months in prison for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank last year, has filed an appeal against his manslaughter conviction and already-lenient jail term.

An author and commentator believes this is hardly an “isolated incident,” adding that the Israeli forces have been infiltrated greatly over the last few years by settlers and there is no repercussions for anything they do.

“The recent polls in Israel had support of the soldier at over 80 percent. So I am not sure who exactly was slamming it in Israel. And the video itself, the most shocking aspect of the video is the absolute indifference of the other soldiers and medics watching this execution because that is what it was. Their response was no greater than what you would expect watching someone shoot a rat,” John Steppling told Press TV in an interview on Thursday.

He also noted that Israeli soldiers have always received a “free pass” to execute these types of killings, asserting that there are “hardcore rabbis” who are advocating the idea that “it is a religious crime" if you do not murder a Palestinian.

The commentator further stated the Israelis do not care about such incidents, predicting that US President Donald Trump will give them even more “carte blanche” than previous US administrations.

He also denounced the UN Human Rights Council’s condemnation of this tragic incident as “meaningless rhetoric,” arguing that with Saudi Arabia heading the council, the entire organization is “surreal.”

Steppling concluded by saying that the overwhelming support for this soldier indicates that Israel’s society is “morally bankrupt.”

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