Acquittal of Israeli Officer in Killing of Autistic Palestinian Sparks Controversy

An Israeli police officer who fatally shot Eyad al-Hallaq, a 32-year-old autistic Palestinian man in East Jerusalem in 2020, has been acquitted by Jerusalem's District Court. The court accepted the officer's claim of self-defense, stating that he made an honest mistake in believing al-Hallaq was an armed terrorist. Al-Hallaq's parents expressed shock and dismay at the verdict, accusing the justice system of bias. The officer, whose name is withheld, will return to the border police and attend a commanders' course.