Israel Military Chief Dismisses Former Top Lawyer Amid Abuse Scandal
The Israeli military has dismissed its former top lawyer, MG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, following a scandal involving the leaked video of soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee.
Jerusalem: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Tuesday the dismissal of its former Military Advocate General, MG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, from service.
This move comes months after she resigned due to her involvement in a scandal surrounding the leak of a video that appears to show Israeli soldiers severely abusing a Palestinian detainee.The incident, which ignited international condemnation as well as protests within Israel, is tied to footage recorded at the secure Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel in 2024.
The leaked video's publication last year led MG Tomer-Yerushalmi to resign from her position as Military Advocate General.
In her resignation letter, she admitted that her office was responsible for leaking the footage.According to an IDF statement, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir decided to immediately suspend Tomer-Yerushalmi from service when initial suspicions arose regarding her involvement in the 'Sde Teiman' affair.
Following prolonged legal proceedings and due to the severity of the alleged actions against her, Zamir ultimately chose to dismiss her from IDF without further delay.
Notably, Tomer-Yerushalmi will not be entitled to benefits typically awarded upon completion of one’s service period.The Sde Teiman base serves as a holding facility for Gazans since the onset of the conflict in Palestinian territories following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
In February 2025, five reservist soldiers were charged with abusing a Palestinian detainee in July 2024 near the Gaza Strip.
These accusations included severe violence such as stabbing the detainee’s buttocks with an object that penetrated close to their rectum.However, in March, the IDF decided to drop charges against these soldiers.
This decision garnered support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised it publicly.
This move comes months after she resigned due to her involvement in a scandal surrounding the leak of a video that appears to show Israeli soldiers severely abusing a Palestinian detainee.The incident, which ignited international condemnation as well as protests within Israel, is tied to footage recorded at the secure Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel in 2024.
The leaked video's publication last year led MG Tomer-Yerushalmi to resign from her position as Military Advocate General.
In her resignation letter, she admitted that her office was responsible for leaking the footage.According to an IDF statement, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir decided to immediately suspend Tomer-Yerushalmi from service when initial suspicions arose regarding her involvement in the 'Sde Teiman' affair.
Following prolonged legal proceedings and due to the severity of the alleged actions against her, Zamir ultimately chose to dismiss her from IDF without further delay.
Notably, Tomer-Yerushalmi will not be entitled to benefits typically awarded upon completion of one’s service period.The Sde Teiman base serves as a holding facility for Gazans since the onset of the conflict in Palestinian territories following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
In February 2025, five reservist soldiers were charged with abusing a Palestinian detainee in July 2024 near the Gaza Strip.
These accusations included severe violence such as stabbing the detainee’s buttocks with an object that penetrated close to their rectum.However, in March, the IDF decided to drop charges against these soldiers.
This decision garnered support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised it publicly.
