Rivlin unfazed by abuse after refusing soldier’s pardon

Published: 23 November 2017

Last updated: 4 March 2024

President says he was not surprised by the tone of incitement in attacks, as Netanyahu delivers backhanded jibe, saying criticism is part of public life

Rivlin 'unsurprised' by 'expected' incitement after Azaria decision (Ynet)
President Reuven Rivlin said he wasn’t “surprised by anything,” following a barrage of criticism against him after he rejected a pardon request filed by the former IDF soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter earlier this year and imprisoned for shooting to death a neutralised terrorist in March 2016.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. It was expected and I’m not surprised by anything," Rivlin said after his office was said to inundated with calls of support from across the country's political spectrum, with Likud members and both coalition and opposition MKs expressing their solidarity.

Netanyahu insists not all criticism of Rivlin is incitement (Ynet)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rebuffed accusations that the vitriolic criticism being levelled against President Reuven Rivlin over his refusal on Sunday to grant Elor Azaria a pardon necessarily constitutes incitement.

“In a democracy, it is permissible to criticise anyone. Nobody knows that better than me, and not all criticism is incitement,” Netanyahu said.

Photo: Aazaria and Rivlin (Yoav Dudkevitch, AFP)