The State Department said on Wednesday that the US has imposed visa restrictions against former Israeli Defense Forces sergeant Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter and conduct unbecoming for shooting an already subdued Palestinian terrorist in Hebron in 2016.
As a result of the restrictions, Sergeant Elor Azaria "and any immediate family members are generally ineligible for entry into the United States," the department said in a statement.
The department also said it was taking steps to impose visa restrictions "on an additional group of individuals for having been involved in or meaningfully contributed to undermining the peace, security, or stability in the West Bank."
Azaria commented on the sanctions imposed on him and his family by the US, saying "I'm perfectly fine Israel, who wants to go to America anyway?"
In April, the US initially considered sanctioning the IDF's Netzah Yehuda Battalion for alleged human rights violations in the West Bank. This potential sanction was heavily criticized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with many Israeli ministers such as Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid. However, ABC News later reported that the Biden Administration has decided not to proceed with this plan.
