NAZARETH, January 5, 2017 (WAFA) – The Joint Arab List, the third largest party in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, with 13 members, said on Thursday in a statement that calls to pardon killer soldier Elor Azaria will be understood by Israeli soldiers and commanders as a license to murder Palestinians.

The statement said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Education Minister Naftali Bennet, from the far right Jewish Home party, and Labor Party lawmaker Shelly Yachimovich stand together on the same side when it comes to Palestinian life, dignity, property and land.

“Calls to pardon the killer soldier are a cheap attempt by coalition and opposition politicians to appease the extreme right-wing, which opposes convicting the soldier of manslaughter, in order to win its support,” the Joint Arab Joint List argued. “It is regrettable that members of the opposition are united with Netanyahu in their bid to win the same fascist vote.”

The Joint List said what Azaria did was only one of thousands of similar crimes and murders committed by the Israeli army against Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. “This is just one proof of the war crimes committed by Israel,” it said.

K.T./M.K.