The Elor Azaria affair, in which an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier shot an incapacitated terrorist, was the catalyst for Avigdor Liberman’s appointment as defense minister last May. His predecessor, former Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon, resigned due to a confrontation with the prime minister on the subject. Ya'alon had adopted a strong judgmental line against Azaria and called him "a soldier who has gone astray" shortly after the incident. That statement cost Ya'alon his job.

Just prior to his rather surprising appointment, Yisrael Beitenu chairman Liberman had managed to take the reins of the public struggle for Azaria's exoneration. He appeared in discussions in the military court, kept contact with the family and expressed confidence that the soldier would be found innocent. But Liberman's entry to the Defense Ministry decreased his involvement in the affair to the point of a full turnabout. When the military court convicted Azaria of manslaughter on Jan. 4, Liberman completed his changeover. The defense minister adopted the pose of a responsible leader who gives support and backing to the military and its commanders. Liberman even labeled right-wing politicians who expressed support for Azaria as a group of populists who were only trying to take advantage of the soldier's trial to increase their own political power.

Of course, one could use this opportunity to "settle accounts" with the defense minister and accuse him of being no less cynical than ministers Naftali Bennett and Miri Regev. These two ministers sharply criticized the court's sentence and called for Azaria's pardoning. However, the fact that Liberman serves as the defense minister on the day in which Azaria was convicted makes his statements endorsing the IDF very meaningful and effective. The same is true for Liberman's ability as defense minister to appease the public's fiery rhetoric.

In an internview with the Israeli Army Radio the morning after the conviction, Liberman radiated leadership. He replaced the prime minister as the responsible adult. Liberman admonished politicians, headed by Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who were calling for a pardon. The defense minister said that he expects them "to restrain themselves or keep quiet and let the security system manage the incident quietly, responsibly and with discretion."