Will She Come Back?
Chaos in Jerusalem: Legal Chief's Suspension Rocks Defense Establishment
Military Advocate General (MAG) Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi has been suspended this Wednsday due to a connection to the leaking of a sensitive video evidence on an alleged abuse in Sdei Teiman.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was rocked by the suspension of its top legal officer, Military Advocate General (MAG) Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, on Wednesday. The suspension is linked to an ongoing investigation into the leak of sensitive video evidence related to the alleged abuse of Palestinian detainees at the Sdei Teiman detention facility.
The probe, initiated by Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, centers on how a surveillance video, allegedly showing soldiers severely abusing a Palestinian detainee, was leaked to the public, raising questions of potential misconduct or even criminal acts within the military's legal apparatus.
Strategic Impact on International Legal Battles
Tomer-Yerushalmi's immediate suspension has major strategic implications for Israel's ability to defend itself on the global stage. As the lead official guiding the IDF’s strategy on international law, her removal comes at a critical time when Israel is actively fighting war crimes cases at both the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"In a development which shook the entire defense establishment," the IDF faced immediate confusion, with sources unsure who would assume leadership of the legal division. Col. Gal Asahel, the deputy MAG, is considered the most likely interim candidate.
While a vague IDF statement suggested the MAG’s suspension was voluntary, the Attorney-General’s investigation clearly implicates Tomer-Yerushalmi or members of her staff in the leak, making her continued management of the case problematic.
The Double-Edged Scandal
The controversy creates a two-fold scandal for the military:
Defense Minister Israel Katz applauded the MAG's suspension and controversially labeled the Sdei Teiman case a "blood libel" against Israeli soldiers, even as significant evidence and indictments confirm that crimes against detainees did occur. The defense lawyers for the accused soldiers have actively seized on the video leak to undermine the prosecution's case.