Israel's top military lawyer, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, has been arrested on charges of fraud, breach of trust, and obstruction of justice after admitting she leaked video evidence of soldiers allegedly assaulting a Palestinian detainee at a military prison. The case has spiraled into a national scandal, exposing Israel's deepening divisions and renewed questions about its accountability in wartime abuses.
Tomer-Yerushalmi, who served as the military advocate general, confessed to authorizing the leak of the surveillance footage to counter mounting attacks against military prosecutors investigating the incident. The video shows soldiers at the Sde Teiman detention center allegedly sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner who was later hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. "There are actions which must never be taken even against the vilest of detainees," Tomer-Yerushalmi wrote in her resignation letter, explaining that she released the footage to "debunk false propaganda against army law enforcement bodies."
The footage, broadcast by Israeli media last year, triggered outrage on both sides of Israel's political divide. Right-wing politicians and pundits denounced Tomer-Yerushalmi, accusing her of undermining the Israel Defense Forces. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident "perhaps the most severe public relations attack that the state of Israel has experienced since its establishment."
Following her resignation last week, Tomer-Yerushalmi briefly disappeared, prompting fears she had taken her own life. Police found her car abandoned at a Tel Aviv-area beach with a note inside before locating her safe hours later. Far-right commentator Yinon Magal posted on X, "We can resume the lynch," mocking the public concern for her safety.
The Israeli police then arrested her on suspicion of leaking classified material, obstructing justice, and lying to the High Court. Former chief military prosecutor Col. Matan Solomesh was also reportedly detained. Judge Rina Meroz on Monday extended Tomer-Yerushalmi's detention until Wednesday as prosecutors continued their investigation.
Her decision to leak the video followed violent protests last year by far-right activists outside Sde Teiman, including one minister and two Knesset members who stormed the base demanding the release of soldiers arrested for the assault. Days after the leak, five soldiers were charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm but were released without restrictions.
The assault, which occurred in July 2024, left the Palestinian detainee with broken ribs, a punctured lung, and rectal injuries, according to the indictment. A hospital staffer familiar with the case told the Associated Press that the victim underwent emergency surgery for a perforated rectum before being returned to custody. The detainee was later freed to Gaza as part of a prisoner exchange.
Legal experts say the scandal now threatens the credibility of Israel's military justice system, which has been cited as a safeguard against prosecution in international courts. "The only way to address the wave of international legal proceedings is by proving we can investigate ourselves," Tomer-Yerushalmi reportedly told colleagues weeks before her resignation, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
But her downfall reflects broader tensions between Israel's judiciary and the country's increasingly hardline leadership. Defense Minister Israel Katz accused her of "spreading blood libels," while protesters gathered outside her home chanting "We will give you no peace." Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, warned that the rhetoric echoed the incitement that preceded Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination in 1995. "It was very sad to see how the internal discourse can bring about such potentially tragic outcome on a personal level," he said.
