Herzog announced on Saturday that he had shortened the period for former soldier Elor Azaria's criminal record to be expunged, effectively clearing his record despite opposition from Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. Azaria was filmed in March 2016 shooting Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, who was already wounded and lying on the ground. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison by a military court in 2017, later reduced to 14 months, and released in May 2018. The President's Office stated that the decision considered the military's position but believed the circumstances allowed Azaria to "open a new chapter in his life."