Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday harshly criticized outgoing Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, calling her the source of “the worst public relations disaster Israel has ever experienced” following her admission of authorizing a leak of sensitive footage purportedly showing soldiers abusing a Palestinian inmate in the Sde Teiman detention center.
Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu addressed the resignation letter submitted by Tomer-Yerushalmi, in which she acknowledged giving permission to release material to the media, taking full responsibility for the leak.
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Outgoing Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Sharon Tzur, REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
“The incident in Sde Teiman caused enormous damage to the image of the State of Israel and the IDF,” Netanyahu said. “It may be the worst public relations disaster Israel has ever faced. I don’t recall a case with such concentrated intensity. This demands an independent, external investigation, and I expect one to be carried out.”
Tomer-Yerushalmi had claimed in her resignation that the decision was made against the backdrop of what she described as a “smear campaign” against the military prosecution, but she did not address previous false statements given to the High Court of Justice and to then-defense minister Yoav Gallant. Nor did she explain the military’s internal probe, which appeared to be a sham effort conducted by her own office to identify the source of the leak.
The officer who exposed the affair was detained at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv and later questioned. Sources close to her said she cooperated fully with investigators, turned over her phone and passcode, and even requested a second interrogation to submit additional information. “She blew the whistle — but if it comes at the expense of her career path, don’t expect others to speak out against their superiors,” associates said. “This is how it works: when you cover for others, nothing happens. When you don’t, you get investigated.”
As of Sunday, Tomer-Yerushalmi herself had not been formally questioned under caution.
Meanwhile, the suspects in the case — all reservists from Force 100, which handles high‑risk incidents at detention facilities holding Palestinian terror detainees — held a press conference. “We didn’t seek fame — we sought justice,” one of the accused said publicly for the first time. “We’ll win, because the truth is on our side.”
Another suspect, identified only as A., added that “We didn’t think twice on October 7. We didn’t ask for credit — we knew the country needed protecting. Some of our friends are now fighting in court instead of on the battlefield. Instead of support, we were met with accusations — and we weren’t even allowed to respond. You carried out a public trial as if you’d already decided who was guilty. We won’t stay silent. We will keep fighting. We only asked for justice. Maybe you tried to break us, but you forgot — we are Force 100.”
Hila, the wife of another Force 100 soldier, said the military’s handling of the case shattered her faith in the system. “I’m a woman, a proud fighter’s wife, a citizen of a country that broke my heart,” she said. “On October 7, my husband and his friends didn’t hesitate — it wasn’t about politics, just love for the country. But that country spat in his face and turned him into a defendant.”
She accused the legal system, including the Military Advocate General’s Office, of pursuing scapegoats instead of justice. “They knew there was no evidence, but they still went after someone to blame,” she said. “I watched my husband torn apart inside. I saw investigators lie, saw the state sacrifice its fighters. The MAG defended herself — not the truth, not justice. This isn’t a justice system, it’s a system of fear. You won’t silence us. We’ll fight for the truth.”
Hila added, “To my husband and the other Force 100 soldiers: you are not alone. Justice will come home. And soon, there will be another earthquake.”
Attorney Adi Keidar of the Honenu legal organization, representing the accused, called the investigation “the biggest deception we’ve seen,” alleging the entire legal process had been staged. “They smeared the soldiers’ names. Their arrests were presented as if they were terrorists. We demand justice. The very least the state can do is cancel the trial and prosecute those responsible for the cover-up.”
Attorney Moshe Polsky added that the legal process had been compromised from the start. “We sat with the MAG, but no one told us what was going on behind the scenes. There is no longer any way these fighters can get a fair trial. The prosecution has shown it lacks judgment. This job was too much for the MAG. The entire case must be re-examined.”
Attorney Ephraim Dimri warned of serious obstruction of justice. “Give it three hours after the MAG is questioned, and senior officials involved in this investigation will also be detained. This was a severe disruption — false statements were made to the High Court,” he said. “The soldiers sitting here will one day light torches on Independence Day. And those who harmed our soldiers will end up behind bars.”