Defense Minister Israel Katz announced this on Friday morning that he has decided to dismiss the Military Advocate General, Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, following the leaked video scandal from the Sde Teiman base. During the Gaza war the base was used as a temporary detention and processing centre for Palestinian detainees from Gaza, including those suspected of terrorist activity. The statement released on Friday said: “The Military Advocate General will not return to her position, given the seriousness of the suspicions and the sensitivity of the role, which is responsible for enforcing the law and setting legal norms throughout the IDF.”
Later, it was reported that Tomer-Yerushalmi submitted her resignation letter to the IDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, during their meeting. “I will ensure that justice is served against anyone who took part in the blood libel against IDF soldiers in the Sde Teiman affair,” Katz added. He also noted that the process of appointing a new Military Advocate General will begin soon, and an acting replacement will be named later. “As is known and according to the law, the Military Advocate General is appointed by the Defense Minister based on the recommendation of the Chief of Staff,” his office stated.
The Defense Minister’s decision comes a few days after the IDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, approved Tomer-Yerushalmi’s request to take leave following the launch of a criminal investigation against individuals in the Military Advocate General’s Corps. However, IDF sources said that the decision for her leave was in fact made based on instructions from professional officials in the police and the State Attorney’s Office, who demanded that she be placed on compulsory leave until the circumstances of the incident are clarified.
In her resignation letter, the Military Advocate General wrote: “Over the past two years, I have been required to act in defense of the unit and its members against an illegitimate and false campaign of delegitimization. Officers of the Military Advocate General’s Corps found themselves subjected to personal attacks and even real threats, all because we stood guard over the rule of law in the IDF.”
She added: “This destructive campaign reached its peak following the decision to investigate the Sde Teiman affair. As the head of the Corps, I approved the release of material to the media in an attempt to counter the false propaganda directed against law enforcement authorities in the army.”
At this stage, Tomer-Yerushalmi is not officially suspected of leaking the video, but sources involved in the investigation believe that the leak occurred with her knowledge, as the footage was highly sensitive investigative material stored in a secure database within the Military Advocate General’s office, accessible only to individuals with very high security clearance.
The office of the Chief of Staff stated: “The Chief of Staff accepted the Military Advocate General’s request to end her position immediately and will act to stabilize the Military Advocate General’s Corps and protect IDF soldiers. The Chief of Staff is confident that a thorough investigation will be conducted to uncover the truth.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz addressed the resignation of Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, saying: “The Military Advocate General has resigned, and rightly so. Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF soldiers is unworthy of wearing the IDF uniform. Anyone found to have slandered our soldiers instead of defending them, in favor of the Nakba terrorists, will be held accountable.”
Following a meeting between Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, the two agreed that, in accordance with military judicial law, the Chief of Staff will compile a list of candidates for the position of Military Advocate General and submit it to the Defense Minister. The statement said the goal is “to appoint a Military Advocate General who can face the significant challenges confronting the Military Advocate General’s Corps, foremost among them the protection of IDF soldiers.” It also noted that Katz and Halevi “are working to create immediate stability within the Military Advocate General’s Corps out of their responsibility to the system and to IDF soldiers.”
The investigation was launched following the release of a video allegedly showing the abuse of a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility. According to reports, a spokesperson for the Military Advocate General’s Corps is suspected of being involved in the leak, and the information that led to the investigation was provided by Shin Bet chief David Zini. At this stage, authorities are also examining whether other officers within the Military Advocate General’s Corps were aware that the video would be passed to external parties.
Tomer-Yerushalmi, 51, was appointed Military Advocate General in September 2021 and was the second woman in IDF history to hold the rank of Major General. The IDF and the defense establishment are currently in the process of identifying her acting replacement, with one of the prominent names mentioned being Chief Military Prosecutor Eli Laberthov. Meanwhile, the police are expected to summon Tomer-Yerushalmi and several senior officers from the Military Advocate General’s Corps for questioning under caution.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid commented on Tomer-Yerushalmi’s resignation, saying: “The Military Advocate General had to end her tenure. There is no dispute about that. She committed acts that harm the IDF and public trust in it. No one is above the law, and it applies to everyone. The investigation must continue, and justice must be served for all involved.”
Chair of the Democrats, Major General (Res.) Yair Golan, added: “The Military Advocate General and her spokesperson may have committed a wrongful act, but it is no more serious than what the Prime Minister’s spokespersons, Orich and Feldstein, have done, and certainly does not compare to the actions for which Netanyahu himself is facing indictment or the serious investigations against him, primarily the Qatar case. If the Military Advocate General is dismissed, then Orich and Netanyahu should also be dismissed.”
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett commented on the Military Advocate General’s resignation: “This is a very serious incident that undermines public trust in senior IDF commanders. It is good that this event is being investigated. The chain of events must be traced from start to finish, and justice must be served for all involved.”
Former Finance Minister and leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Avigdor Lieberman, wrote on X: “It is good and right that the Military Advocate General resigned now, but if a person knows they have failed, they should resign at the time, rather than cling to their position until it is forced upon them.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir commented on the resignation, writing on X: “Next in line, the criminal Attorney General.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote: “This is barely the tip of the iceberg. An independent and impartial investigation is required. It is likely not the only lie or cover-up. Immunity from prosecution should be granted to the officer who exposed the truth, and a new Military Advocate General should be appointed from outside the system.”
According to the 2015 Government Legal Advisor guidelines regarding the Military Advocate General, the Defense Minister does not have direct authority to dismiss the Military Advocate General. The Military Advocate General is subordinate to the Chief of Staff and the Government Legal Advisor to ensure legal independence, while remaining loyal to the law and the IDF.
