Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz has instructed IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to exhaust all possible military measures against ex-Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi and to act immediately to revoke all her rights.
In his message to the Chief of Staff, Katz ordered the military to "take immediate steps to revoke all rights from ex-MAG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who spread a blood libel against IDF soldiers to defend Nukhba terrorists and confessed to serious criminal offenses, and not to make any decisions granting her leniency."
The case against Tomer-Yerushalmi centers on the leak of footage from the Sde Teiman detention facility which purported to show IDF reservists from Force 100 abusing a detained Hamas terrorist. A criminal investigation was opened after information emerged implicating senior officials in the Military Advocate General’s Corps in the leak, and Tomer-Yerushalmi later admitted that she had authorized the release of the footage. She was subsequently arrested and questioned on suspicion of offenses including obstruction of investigative proceedings and breach of trust, as investigators also examined suspicions of an alleged cover-up.
The Defense Minister noted the severity of the actions attributed to Tomer-Yerushalmi, claiming that "the crimes Yerushalmi committed were the most severe in IDF history because she was responsible for the military law enforcement system when the crimes were committed and because of the harsh message they convey to the families of IDF soldiers who feel that their sons were abandoned for extraneous reasons and while committing serious criminal offenses."
Katz also mentioned the legal development regarding the Force 100 soldiers and added that "the fact that the trial against soldiers from Sde Teiman was cancelled by the Military Advocate General who replaced Yerushalmi was an important and necessary step, but it wasn't enough."
Additionally, Katz criticized the pace of proceedings in the civilian justice system and pressed the IDF to use the tools at its disposal. “The fact that the civilian justice system is dragging its feet and refraining from advancing the indictment against Yerushalmi, which would make it possible to take additional measures against her, including imprisonment and stripping her of her rank, is serious and requires every possible avenue within the military framework to be exhausted. Certainly, no decisions granting her leniency should be made before the criminal proceedings have been exhausted. This is pursuant to the authority vested in you and the policy I am directing as the Defense Minister responsible for the IDF on behalf of the Israeli government."