Netanyahu Blasts Military Advocate General
Netanyahu on Sde Teiman Scandal: Israel's Worst PR Crisis
The Sde Teiman crisis erupted when doctored footage was leaked to the world, allegedly showing soldiers from Israel's elite Force 100 sodomizing a Palestinian prisoner.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened Sunday's weekly Cabinet meeting with a sharp critique of the Sde Teiman affair and the resignation of the Military Advocate General, describing the incident as causing "enormous image damage" to Israel, the IDF, and its soldiers.
In his remarks, Netanyahu labeled the event "perhaps the most severe PR terror attack the State of Israel has experienced since its establishment," adding that he could not recall one with such focused intensity. He called for an "independent, impartial investigation" and expressed his expectation that one would be conducted.
Earlier this morning, Doron Kadosh reported new details on the shocking scandal:
An internal review within the Military Advocate General’s (MAG) Corps, launched to identify the source of a leaked video from the Tze’elim base, did not question a single member of the MAG Corps who had access to the investigative materials, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The review, conducted by Deputy Military Advocate General Brig. Gen. Gal Asael, included collecting materials and questioning several officers from the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) who were also exposed to the evidence. However, none of the MAG officers themselves were interrogated.
The omission raises questions about the depth and credibility of the internal probe, which ultimately concluded that dozens of people had access to the materials — making it “impossible to determine the source of the leak.” The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit did not issue a response.
Brig. Gen. Asael, in closed conversations, has denied any involvement in the leak, claiming he had no idea it originated from within the MAG Corps leadership. He stated he conducted the review “without any knowledge that senior figures in the MAG were responsible,” and that he was kept entirely out of the loop by the Military Advocate General herself. Asael is not currently considered a suspect and continues to serve in his position, though he may be required to give testimony later.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff is expected to present several candidates to the Defense Minister today for the next Military Advocate General. The leading candidate is retired Brig. Gen. Doron Ben Barak, a former Deputy MAG and Chief Military Censor, who left the corps over five years ago. Even before this controversy, Ben Barak was regarded in defense and legal circles as the top contender for the role, though the current scandal has accelerated the appointment process by about a year.