Defense Minister Israel Katz announced this morning (Friday) that the Military Advocate General (MAG) will not return to her post. “I will ensure accountability for anyone involved in the blood libel against IDF soldiers in the Sde Teiman affair,” Katz said in his statement.
The statement also said that MAG Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi will not be able to return to her position “given the severity of the suspicions and the sensitivity of the MAG’s role, which oversees law enforcement and sets legal standards across the IDF.” Katz added that an acting MAG will be appointed soon, and he intends to name a permanent military attorney based on the Chief of Staff’s recommendation.
Earlier this week, the IDF Spokesperson reported that a criminal investigation was opened following the release of the video in the Sde Teiman affair, examining the involvement of MAG office personnel in the leak. Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, approved Tomer-Yerushalmi’s request to go on leave until the investigation is complete.
According to Walla, recent information links the MAG to the leak, which allegedly occurred with her knowledge.
When the affair first emerged, the petitioner and team members were detained. On August 6, 2024, during a detention extension hearing, defense attorneys learned that a report aired on Channel 12 contained classified investigative materials that had been withheld from them. The leaked materials included security camera footage from the Sde Teiman military facility, intelligence on a high-risk terrorist, and polygraph results from two soldiers, tests not used as evidence in criminal proceedings. The leak was immediately reported to the judge handling the detention, who ordered an investigation into the leak, a step that was not carried out at the time. The Military Defense Counsel requested that the State Attorney and Deputy Attorney General authorize a criminal investigation into the incident.
