Investigative materials from the criminal probe into the leak of the Sde Teiman video that has rocked the country clearly indicate that Military Advocate General [MAG] Mag.-Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi personally ordered the leak of investigative materials related to the affair and was informed many hours in advance of the intention to leak the video itself, Army Radio military correspondent Doron Kadosh reported.

The report further states that Tomer-Yerushalmi cooperated with the leak and was fully involved in it.

According to a report on i24News, the information that led to the investigation against the MAG regarding the publication of the Shde Teiman video was passed on by Shin Bet chief David Zini. However, the Shin Bet, IDF, and Attorney General’s Office all stated, “We will not comment.”

Kadosh wrote, “It’s important to note—the leak itself is not the issue. As a journalist, I will always support leaks, even from within the army. The problem is that the MAG ordered an internal probe within the Military Advocate’s Office to ‘investigate the leak,’ appointing her deputy to lead it while she herself knew very well how the video was leaked and even (allegedly) gave false reports about it to bodies such as the Supreme Court and the Knesset.”

Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal wrote, “The IDF’s top lawyer, Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, is suspected of leaking the video of Israeli soldiers abusing a Palestinian terrorist at the Sde Teiman detention facility. It’s hard to overstate just how big a deal this is, but it also requires a recap of events from over a year ago—so I’ll try to break it down.”

“In August 2024, a video emerged of what seemed to be IDF soldiers raping a Palestinian terrorist at Sde Teiman, a military base in southern Israel that has been used during the war as a detention facility for Palestinian terrorists—including members of Hamas’ elite Nukhba force, which led the October 7 massacre.

“And while, in the end, the soldiers were cleared of rape charges, the footage and allegations exploded internationally, garnering hundreds of millions of views and causing enormous damage to Israel on the global stage.

“Ok, and how did Israelis respond? There was a lot of anger, to say the least, and for varying reasons. But some Israelis asked Tomer-Yerushalmi, the Military Advocate General, a pointed question: Why aren’t you investigating the leak? The video caused enormous damage to Israel on the international stage—don’t you care to find out which soldier leaked it? Or do leaks only matter if the person to blame is Binyamin Netanyahu’s ally?

“The question was far from unfounded. At the same time, the attorney general was investigating how classified Israeli intelligence on Hamas was leaked to the German Bild newspaper—resulting in charges against Bibi’s military spokesman, while one of the prime minister’s top aides, Yonatan Urich, still faces the prospect of being charged over the case.

“And so, the obvious thing for Tomer-Yerushalmi to do was to investigate the leaked footage from Sde Teiman. But she refused, claiming that it had been looked into and that nothing of consequence was found. She did, however, order an internal inquiry, tasking her deputy with the investigation.

“But now, it turns out that it was all a cover-up, and the IDF’s top lawyer is suspected of either leaking the video herself, ordering the leak, or allowing someone in her office to leak it with her full knowledge and consent.

“So, what’s happening to her? Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi has just become the first major general in the IDF’s history to be placed on leave while she is criminally investigated. That would be damning enough without the fact that her job is to oversee investigations of other soldiers.

“There’s a lot to wrap your head around here, so I want to summarize just how outrageous this is. If the allegations are true, the IDF’s top lawyer leaked the video to Israeli media, orchestrated a cover-up by ordering her deputy to ‘investigate’ the leak, provided false reports to the Knesset and Supreme Court on the issue, and claimed that the investigation into the leak uncovered no consequential results.

“I’ll wrap up the same way I ended my item in Monday’s newsletter about the Shin Bet’s attempt to block the appointment of its new chief, David Zini. I won’t tell you that this is proof of a ‘deep state’ in Israel—but after stories like these, who could blame anyone for wondering?”

Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich addressed the uproar surrounding the MAG, saying, “If Doron Kadosh’s report this morning—that the MAG was involved in leaking that fabricated, biased, and destructive video—is true, it is nothing short of an earthquake.”

“This is, first and foremost, something that borders on treason. A major general in the IDF—someone whose duty is to protect our soldiers—has, in effect, collaborated with a false and antisemitic campaign aimed at defaming IDF soldiers and slandering the State of Israel worldwide. No one can know what role this destructive video played in the delegitimization of Israel, in Biden’s arms embargo, or how many soldiers paid a personal price for this outrageous conduct.”

“On top of that, this involves fraud, breach of trust, obstruction of justice, falsified documents, and false affidavits—part of a web of lies and cover-ups meant to obscure this terrible and appalling leak.”

“If, chalilah, this report is true,” Smotrich continued, “then the MAG must sit behind bars. And the people of Israel must understand that the deep state is dangerous—dangerous to our soldiers and commanders, dangerous to our security, to democracy, and to justice itself. The judicial reforms we are advancing are meant to strengthen democracy, justice, equality, and security—to protect IDF soldiers, the army, and our beloved country.”

Meanwhile, Tomer-Yerushalmi has hired top defense attorney Dori Klagsbald, who will represent her through the Military Defense Office.

The investigation is being conducted by a very small police team, led personally by Maj.-Gen. (res.) Boaz Balt, head of the Investigations and Intelligence Division.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)