Attorney Itai Ofir has been appointed the new military advocate general, replacing Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer‑Yerushalmi who resigned, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Tuesday.
Ofir will take over the role of the chief military prosecutor for IDF and will be promoted to the rank of major general, the customary grade for the post.
Ofir served as the legal adviser to the Defense Ministry from 2017 until 2024 and was also one of the candidates for attorney general in 2022, when Gali Baharav-Miara was ultimately selected for the role.
In his military career, Ofir served as a combat officer in the reserves in the Nahal Brigade and as an officer in the Givati Brigade during his active service. His academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in law and an MBA from Bar‑Ilan University, and an LL.M. from Harvard University in the United States.
Katz emphasized that, given the “serious facts coming to light” in recent weeks, it was important to appoint immediately a new military advocate general from outside the current prosecutorial system — “someone not tainted by any suspicion and with the suitable skills — who can undertake cleansing, rebuilding and organizing the military prosecution system.”
He said Ofir “has the appropriate qualifications for this complex and demanding role, whose importance is increasing at this time thanks to his vision, experience and capabilities, and the roles he has held in the past.”
Ofir’s previous notable work included the legal opinion submitted on behalf of the Defense Ministry stating that former defense minister Benny Gantz could appoint an IDF chief of staff during the 2022 election period — a decision that allowed Gantz to choose Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi over Eyal Zamir.
He replaces Tomer‑Yerushalmi, who submitted her resignation last Friday. In her letter, she acknowledged approving the leak to the media of sensitive surveillance footage from the Sde Teiman detention facility in the Negev showing IDF soldiers allegedly abusing a Palestinian detainee, asserting she did so to “counter false propaganda” aimed at the military law enforcement authorities. Tomer‑Yerushalmi took full responsibility in a conversation with the chief of staff and wrote that, as head of the military prosecution, she is accountable for any material released to the media from her unit and that her decision to resign flows from that responsibility.
Tomer‑Yerushalmi had served in the role since 2021. In her resignation letter, she also admitted that after the video leak, the military prosecution, under her leadership, initiated what she described as a “fictitious investigation” in an alleged attempt to trace those responsible for the leak. A petition to open a formal investigation was filed with the High Court of Justice and an affidavit was submitted in the matter.
Since her resignation, the outgoing advocate general was missing for several hours Sunday until she was located on a beach in Herzliya. She was taken for medical examinations and then arrested. On Monday, she appeared before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, where her detention was extended until Thursday. She appealed that decision to the Tel Aviv District Court but was denied. A judge barred photography of her in court.
Also on Sunday evening, during a large search operation for Tomer‑Yerushalmi, the police decided to arrest the former chief military prosecutor, Col. Matan Solomesh, whose detention was likewise extended on Monday.