JERUSALEM – Israel's parliament speaker has ordered security beefed up for a Knesset member who came under threats after he said a soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian assailant shouldn't be pardoned.
Yuli Edelstein said Friday he made the decision after "escalated threats" against Erel Margalit, an opposition lawmaker of the Zionist Union party.
Margalit faced abuse on social media after his comments on the case of Sgt. Elor Azaria. Azaria was convicted this week for shooting a Palestinian who lay on the ground incapacitated from shots sustained after he stabbed and wounded a soldier in the West Bank.
The contentious 9-month-long case has polarized Israelis, with Azaria's conduct criticized by defense officials but also supported by large segments of the public.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he should be pardoned.
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