Minister Naftali Bennett says Sunday's decision of the military appeals court to reject Elor Azariya's appeal of a manslaughter conviction in the killing of a wounded terrorist "is difficult, but the court must be respected, Now, after a year and a half of hardships, it is time to pardon Elazar Azaria. For the sake of our soldiers who are on the front line and to prevent the loss of our deterrent power, Elor Azariya must return home."
Minister Bennett added that despite the difficult decision, he appealed to civilians to refrain from attacks on the Israel Defense Forces and its commanders, saying, "I have full confidence in Chief of Staff Eizenkot and IDF commanders. In no scenario is there any room for calls as were heard in the past."