Former Defense Minister Ya'alon Slams President Herzog Over Azaria Pardon

Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon has sharply criticized President Isaac Herzog's decision to shorten the criminal record removal period for Elor Azaria, the soldier convicted of killing a neutralized Palestinian assailant in Hebron in 2016. Ya'alon expressed his dismay in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Ya'alon stated that he was contacted by Channel 14 news for comments on the Azaria case, which led him to believe a campaign was being prepared against the Chief of Staff related to an event involving Gadi Eisenkot. He responded to Channel 14 by calling their questions a "collection of lies" and stating he would only take them seriously if the outlet were a legitimate news source and not a "propaganda channel."

Following President Herzog's announcement on Saturday night regarding the decision, which was made in the spirit of the Jewish holidays of mercy and forgiveness, Ya'alon concluded that Herzog was complicit in this campaign. "Tonight I understood that [Herzog] is a partner to the campaign... Shame," Ya'alon wrote.

Legal affairs correspondent Guy Peleg of Channel 12 News also commented on the president's decision. Peleg, known for his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alleged that "Herzog is working full time for Bibi," implying the president's actions were politically motivated to benefit Netanyahu.