Former Israeli Military Advocate General, Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, has been arrested as tensions mount over a leaked video showing alleged abuse of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli soldiers. The unfolding scandal has ignited a fierce political and military storm in Israel.
Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned last week, had previously acknowledged authorizing the release of certain materials to the media. She said her intention was to counter what she described as “false propaganda” targeting the army’s legal authorities. Her resignation letter emphasized the military’s obligation to investigate credible reports of detainee abuse.
The controversy centers on a video broadcast in August 2024 by an Israeli news outlet, allegedly filmed at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel. The footage reportedly shows reserve soldiers surrounding a Palestinian detainee before severely assaulting him. Reports indicate that the detainee sustained serious injuries and required hospital treatment.
Following the leak, five reservists were charged with aggravated abuse and causing grievous bodily harm. The soldiers, whose identities remain undisclosed, have denied the accusations. In a dramatic appearance outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, four of the accused covered their faces with balaclavas as their lawyers demanded the dismissal of the trial, calling it “biased and politically motivated.”
The fallout deepened when Tomer-Yerushalmi was reported missing on Sunday, prompting a large police search north of Tel Aviv. She was later found safe but subsequently taken into custody.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz condemned her actions, declaring that anyone who “spreads blood libels against IDF troops is unfit to wear the army’s uniform.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the sentiment, describing the Sde Teiman incident as “perhaps the most severe public relations attack the State of Israel has faced since its establishment.”
The investigation into the leak continues, as Israel faces growing scrutiny over military conduct and accountability.
