Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi submitted her resignation Friday to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, two days after she was placed on leave amid suspicions of involvement in the leak of a video showing the abuse of a Palestinian detainee by soldiers at the Sde Teiman detention facility.
In her resignation letter, Tomer-Yerushalmi admitted she had approved the release of the footage, saying she did so to “counter false propaganda” directed at the Military Advocate General’s Office following the launch of the abuse investigation. She took “full responsibility” for the decision and for any materials that reached the media from within her unit.
1 View gallery
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, Defense Minister Israel Katz
(Photo: IDF, Defense Ministry, Meir Even Haim, Shalev Shalom)
“Out of deep responsibility toward the IDF and my subordinates, I authorized the release of materials to the media in an effort to deflect false accusations against law enforcement within the army,” she wrote. “I bear full responsibility for any information released from within the office and therefore have decided to end my service as military advocate general.”
Zamir accepted her resignation immediately, IDF officials said. The police are expected to question Tomer-Yerushalmi next week as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the leak. Her admission also raised questions about whether her office subsequently initiated what she called a “fictitious internal review” to conceal its role in the incident. A petition to the High Court of Justice demanding an inquiry led to a sworn affidavit from the office, which may now be investigated for containing false statements.
In her letter, Tomer-Yerushalmi said the decision to leak the video was made against the backdrop of what she called a “destructive campaign of incitement” against military prosecutors. “In the past two years, I have had to defend this unit and its officers from an illegitimate and false campaign of delegitimization,” she wrote. “Prosecutors have faced personal attacks, insults and even threats, simply because we stood guard over the rule of law within the IDF.”
She said the campaign intensified after her decision to investigate allegations of abuse at Sde Teiman, where Palestinian detainees were allegedly beaten. “This incitement included an unprecedented mass break-in to the base and to the military court compound, accompanied by dangerous claims that we favor terrorists over soldiers,” she wrote. “This ongoing incitement gravely damages the army and its moral resilience.”
Tomer-Yerushalmi defended her decision to open the probe, saying the investigation was “a moral and legal obligation” even during wartime. “Even in an ongoing and painful war, it is our duty to examine allegations of unlawful conduct,” she wrote. “This is not a weakness but a source of strength — the very foundation of the IDF’s integrity and legitimacy.”
She emphasized that the detainees at Sde Teiman “are indeed terrorists of the worst kind,” but insisted that this does not exempt the army from upholding legal standards. “There are acts that must not be committed, even against the most despicable detainees,” she said.
Her resignation followed public remarks by Defense Minister Israel Katz earlier Friday, in which he said Tomer-Yerushalmi would not be reinstated due to the seriousness of the allegations. “I will ensure that justice is done with anyone who took part in the blood libel against IDF soldiers in the Sde Teiman affair,” Katz said. His office later clarified that she would not return to her position given “the gravity of the suspicions and the sensitivity of the military advocate general’s role.”
Katz said he will soon begin the process of appointing a new military advocate general, a position that, under law, is formally selected by the defense minister on the recommendation of the chief of staff. The announcement comes amid broader tensions between Katz and Zamir over senior military appointments.
In a statement, the IDF said: “The Military Advocate General, MG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, submitted a request this morning (Friday) to conclude her position. The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, accepted her request for an immediate conclusion of her role and will act to stabilize the Military Advocate General’s Corps and safeguard IDF soldiers. The Chief of the General Staff is confident that a thorough and truthful inquire [sic] will be conducted regarding the matters discussed.”
Tomer-Yerushalmi's admission and resignation come two days after the IDF announced she was being placed on leave, following the launch of a criminal investigation into the leak of a video from the Sde Teiman detention facility, which allegedly shows soldiers abusing a detained terrorist. Until now, there had only been suspicion of her or her associates' involvement in the leak.
The investigation is being conducted by the Israel Police's Investigations and Intelligence Division, under the direction of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and with oversight from the State Prosecutor's Office.
In recent days, investigators increasingly suspected that the leak originated from her office after a senior Military Advocate General’s Office aide was questioned on suspicion of involvement in the leak and failed a polygraph test, strengthening suspicions that the leak came from the top ranks of the military prosecution.
“She is the moral compass of the General Staff, a personal example and fulfillment of the army’s values and orders,” a military source told Ynet. “Even if she passively approved the leak, she no longer has a place in the IDF.”
The military is already looking for a successor, with Col. Ofira Elkabets Rotshtein, previously the senior military advocate, emerging as a leading candidate. Other contenders include retired prosecutorial figures such as Doron Ben‑Barak and Avi Halabi.
Tomer‑Yerushalmi's deputy, Gal Asael, appears to have fallen out of consideration after leading the internal review that cleared the office of any wrongdoing last year. Despite efforts to disqualify him as acting military advocate general, officials within the Military Advocate General’s Office maintain that he is indeed fit for the role. They explain that his review found the video had been accessible to dozens, possibly even hundreds, of individuals who could have leaked it, and that he neither received nor concealed any information indicating the leak came from the office of the military advocate general.
Meanwhile, Ynet military correspondent Yossi Yehoshua reports that Asael, who previously held the rank of colonel, was promoted last week to brigadier general and also appointed head of the International Law Department. This marks the first time a deputy military advocate general has simultaneously served as a department head while holding the rank of brigadier general.
The video from Sde Teiman was released in August 2024, allegedly showing IDF soldiers committing serious offenses against Palestinian detainees. After its publication, claims surfaced that the footage was selectively edited and composed of two separate clips.
The Choosing Life forum—representing bereaved families and victims of terrorism—petitioned the High Court of Justice to launch a criminal investigation into the leak, arguing that its release during the war in Gaza endangered soldiers’ lives and damaged Israel’s international standing. “The investigation must be thorough to uncover the truth and hold accountable those who leaked and edited the doctored footage,” the group said.
The video surfaced following the arrest of Unit 100 reservists, five of whom were later charged with abusing a Palestinian security detainee. The arrests sparked widespread protests, including intrusions into military bases by right-wing activists. Lawyers for the reservists denied that any sexual offenses occurred during the detention and called for an investigation into the leak, as well as a formal clarification that no such offenses had taken place, contrary to what the edited footage allegedly implied.
First published: 10:26, 10.31.25