PLO official: Israel has policy of “arbitrary summary executions,” imprisoned Palestinian terrorists are “freedom fighters”
Headline: “Karake: Lightening the sentence of Martyr Al-Sharif’s murderer encourages the policy of summary executions – he emphasized that the occupation state is violating the international principles of defense of the prisoners”
“Director of [PLO] Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa Karake thinks that the decision of occupation [Israeli] army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot to reduce the sentence of Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (see note below –Ed.), murderer of Martyr (Shahid) Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sharif (i.e., terrorist, stabbed 1 together with an accomplice), is systematic encouragement of the policy of arbitrary summary execution, which has escalated in the last three years through incitement and support by the occupation government… On another matter, Karake said that the occupation government is violating the international principles of protection, which are guaranteed by the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law for prisoners in prison, through its repeated inciting calls to execute prisoners and the submission of a bill regarding this (i.e., a bill on executing convicted terrorists) to the Israeli Parliament… Karake explained that Israel is acting like a state that is not an occupier, running rampant in the region as it pleases, and specializing in creating laws that strengthen the occupation, while ignoring all of the international conventions and agreements that guarantee the protection of the prisoners’ rights and recognize their classification as freedom fighters.”
Elor Azaria - 20-year-old sgt. and combat medic in the Israeli army who shot 21-year-old Palestinian terrorist Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sharif in the head as he lay wounded on the ground and killed him in Hebron on March 24, 2016, shortly after Al-Sharif, together with 21-year-old terrorist Ramzi Aziz Al-Qasrawi, had stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier. Al-Qasrawi was shot and killed during the attack. Azaria has stated that he shot Al-Sharif because he saw him moving and thought he might have a bomb on him and be trying to detonate it - other sources, including a Magen David Adom investigative committee and a military criminal investigator, have confirmed that this possibility had not been ruled out. The shooting and killing was filmed by a Palestinian activist of the NGO B’Tselem. Azaria was condemned by many Israeli politicians and officials following the incident, particularly then Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, and Azaria was put on trial on charges of manslaughter. Azaria was convicted of manslaughter in January 2017 and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Azaria appealed the conviction, but his appeal was rejected by a military court of appeals on July 30, 2017. Azaria’s sentence was reduced by 4 months to a total of 14 months on Sept. 27, 2017, by Israeli Army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
“Director of [PLO] Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa Karake thinks that the decision of occupation [Israeli] army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot to reduce the sentence of Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (see note below –Ed.), murderer of Martyr (Shahid) Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sharif (i.e., terrorist, stabbed 1 together with an accomplice), is systematic encouragement of the policy of arbitrary summary execution, which has escalated in the last three years through incitement and support by the occupation government… On another matter, Karake said that the occupation government is violating the international principles of protection, which are guaranteed by the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law for prisoners in prison, through its repeated inciting calls to execute prisoners and the submission of a bill regarding this (i.e., a bill on executing convicted terrorists) to the Israeli Parliament… Karake explained that Israel is acting like a state that is not an occupier, running rampant in the region as it pleases, and specializing in creating laws that strengthen the occupation, while ignoring all of the international conventions and agreements that guarantee the protection of the prisoners’ rights and recognize their classification as freedom fighters.”
Elor Azaria - 20-year-old sgt. and combat medic in the Israeli army who shot 21-year-old Palestinian terrorist Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sharif in the head as he lay wounded on the ground and killed him in Hebron on March 24, 2016, shortly after Al-Sharif, together with 21-year-old terrorist Ramzi Aziz Al-Qasrawi, had stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier. Al-Qasrawi was shot and killed during the attack. Azaria has stated that he shot Al-Sharif because he saw him moving and thought he might have a bomb on him and be trying to detonate it - other sources, including a Magen David Adom investigative committee and a military criminal investigator, have confirmed that this possibility had not been ruled out. The shooting and killing was filmed by a Palestinian activist of the NGO B’Tselem. Azaria was condemned by many Israeli politicians and officials following the incident, particularly then Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, and Azaria was put on trial on charges of manslaughter. Azaria was convicted of manslaughter in January 2017 and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Azaria appealed the conviction, but his appeal was rejected by a military court of appeals on July 30, 2017. Azaria’s sentence was reduced by 4 months to a total of 14 months on Sept. 27, 2017, by Israeli Army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.