Israeli soldier convicted for shooting dead Palestinian assailant

An Israeli soldier who shot dead a wounded Palestinian assailant as he lay on the ground posing no apparent threat was convicted of manslaughter Wednesday after a trial that deeply divided the country. The soldier, Elor Azaria, had been on trial in a military court since May, with right-wing politicians defending him despite top army brass harshly condemning his actions.
Sentencing is expected at a later date for the 20-year-old French-Israeli sergeant. He faces up to 20 years in prison and can appeal. Judge Colonel Maya Heller spent more than two and a half hours reading out the decision, sharply criticising the arguments of Azaria's lawyers. On behalf of the three-judge panel, Heller said there was no reason for Azaria to open fire since the Palestinian was posing no threat.
She called Azaria's testimony "evolving and evasive". "His motive for shooting was that he felt the terrorist deserved to die," she said. Azaria's demeanour changed drastically as the judge read the verdict. Dressed in a green army uniform, he had entered the courtroom smiling, with family members and supporters applauding him. But he and his family looked shaken as the judge spoke, and after the verdict his mother yelled: "You should be ashamed of yourselves."
In a sign of the tensions surrounding the case, dozens of protesters scuffled with police Wednesday as they gathered outside Israel's military headquarters in Tel Aviv, where the verdict was announced. Shabtay Oz, a retired police officer carrying a large Israeli flag and protesting peacefully, said he never imagined himself joining a demonstration.