’Israel’s’ Top Military Lawyer Arrested over Leaked Abuse Video

By Staff, Agencies

Police in "Israel" have arrested and detained the military’s top legal officer after she admitted leaking footage of soldiers allegedly attacking a Palestinian detainee and then in effect lying about her actions to "Israel’s" high court.

The military advocate general, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, said in a resignation letter last week that she had authorized publication of the video to defuse attacks on military investigators and prosecutors working on the case.

In July 2024 prosecutors raided the “Sde Teiman” military detention center, which has become notorious for torture, and detained 11 soldiers for interrogation.

They were suspects in a violent assault on a Palestinian from Gaza. The victim was hospitalized with injuries including broken ribs, a punctured lung and rectal damage, according to the indictment.

The occupation entity and far-right politicians and pundits have accused her of damaging "Israel’s" global standing by pursuing the case and releasing the video, in effect casting her efforts to prosecute extreme violence as a project to undermine the state.

"Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the incident in “Sde Teiman” caused immense damage to the image of "Israel" and the "Israeli" occupation forces [IOF], adding that this is perhaps the most severe public relations attack that "Israel" has experienced since its establishment.

After the first detentions of soldiers in the case in summer 2024, a far-right mob gathered outside “Sde Teiman” calling for the investigation to be dropped. Some of the protesters – including a minister and two members of the Knesset – broke into the base.

Tomer-Yerushalmi leaked the video in August 2024 after the protests, saying in her resignation letter that it was “an attempt to debunk false propaganda against army law enforcement bodies”.

Days later, five soldiers were charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm.

They have not been named and are currently not in custody or under any legal restrictions, "Israeli" media reported.