JERUSALEM—In a dramatic and politically charged escalation, Israeli police have arrested Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the military’s former top lawyer, just days after she resigned, following her admission that she personally authorized the leak of security camera footage allegedly showing Israeli soldiers brutally abusing a Palestinian detainee.
The outgoing Military Advocate General (MAG) was taken into custody Sunday on suspicion of obstruction of justice, fraud and breach of trust, abuse of office, and disclosure of official information by a public servant. Her arrest, alongside that of former chief military prosecutor Colonel Matan Solomesh, sends shockwaves through Israel’s legal and political establishment, transforming a case of alleged abuse into a profound constitutional crisis.
The Admission That Rocked the IDF
The crisis centers on a video, broadcast by an Israeli news channel in August 2024, that appeared to show soldiers at the notorious Sde Teiman military detention facility surrounding a blindfolded, shackled Palestinian detainee and assaulting him. The detainee was later hospitalized with severe injuries, including broken ribs and an inner rectal tear, leading to criminal charges against five reserve soldiers.
Amid intense political pressure and a criminal investigation into the source of the leak, Maj. Gen. Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned on Friday, stating in her resignation letter:
“I approved the release of material to the media in an attempt to counter the false propaganda directed against the military law enforcement authorities.”
She argued that she sought to defend the integrity of the military justice system, which was facing fierce attacks from right-wing politicians who accused her of “betraying” soldiers by pursuing the abuse case.
Political Firestorm and Criminal Charges
The move by the former MAG, who had served as the highest legal authority in the IDF, has been treated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies not as an act of accountability, but as a severe security and public relations breach.
- “Most Severe Public Relations Attack”: Prime Minister Netanyahu called the leak “perhaps the most severe public relations attack that the State of Israel has experienced since its establishment,” prioritizing the damage to Israel’s image over the abuse itself.
- “Spreading Blood Libels”: Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that anyone who “spreads blood libels against IDF troops is unfit to wear the army’s uniform,” signaling that Tomer-Yerushalmi would not be allowed to return to her post.
- Obstruction Suspicions: Police prosecutors sought to extend her detention, arguing that she may have staged a brief, dramatic disappearance on Sunday—during which her car was found empty on a Tel Aviv beach—in order to get rid of her phone, which could contain compromising information, thereby obstructing the investigation.
Tomer-Yerushalmi’s detention raises profound questions about the independence of the IDF’s legal system and the limits of accountability, particularly concerning the treatment of Palestinian detainees amid the ongoing conflict. For critics, the arrest symbolizes a concerted effort by the political right to suppress scrutiny and shield soldiers from prosecution, even when evidence of severe abuse emerges from within the system.
The former top lawyer is expected to remain in custody until at least Wednesday, as the investigation attempts to unravel the full extent of the disclosure and the motivations behind the unprecedented leak from the heart of Israel’s military justice apparatus.