Israeli Judge: Video of Medic Shooting Palestinian ‘Inconclusive’

Insists 'Complexity of Events' Provides Reasonable Doubts

by Jason Ditz,

Though the detention of an Israeli medic who shot and killed an already incapacity Palestinian is set to continue for two more days, the Israeli military courts seem to be set to turn him loose, with Judge Lt. Col. Ronen Shor insisting the video plainly showing the killing was “inconclusive.”

Shor insisted there was a “reasonable doubt” against the prosecution’s insistence that the killing was intentional because of the “complexity of events.” The defense hadn’t appeared to contest this previously, insisting the medic thought the wounded and already searched Palestinian might’ve had a bomb.

The medic was reported to have told multiple soldiers at the scene that the Palestinian “deserves to die” before the shooting, and then was seen on a second video shaking hands with a high-profile Kahanist leader after the killing.

A rally of far-right demonstrators, backed by supporters from a right-wing leaning soccer club gathered outside the court before the trial, demanding the medic’s immediate release, and chanting “Kahane lives!” Several MPs attended the rally in support of the killing.

Polls initially showed Israelis split roughly down the middle on the shooting, but have since then showed massive majorities opposed to any investigation of the medic, and insisting he shouldn’t even theoretically face charges for killing a Palestinian.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has harshly criticized the far-right, saying they are advocating a military with no moral code and in which individual soldiers can engage in killings in violation of military rules of engagement with impunity.

http://news.antiwar.com/2016/03/29/israeli-judge-video-of-medic-shooting-palestinian-inconclusive/