Daijiworld Media Network – Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv, Nov 4: In a scandal that has shaken Israel’s military and political establishment, Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the Israeli army’s former chief legal officer, has been arrested following a stunning chain of events involving a leaked surveillance video, her sudden resignation, disappearance, and eventual discovery on a Tel Aviv beach.
The turmoil began after Tomer-Yerushalmi admitted to authorizing the leak of a disturbing video that shows Israeli soldiers sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military prison in July 2024. The footage, intended to expose the severity of abuse under investigation, instead ignited political outrage and fierce backlash from Israel’s hardline factions.
Following days of mounting criticism, Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned last week, leaving behind a cryptic note and her car near the shoreline, sparking fears of a suicide attempt. Authorities launched a frantic search, deploying drones, before finding her alive on Sunday night.
Instead of relief, her discovery fueled further anger. Right-wing commentators, including a media ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mocked her ordeal online, suggesting she had staged the disappearance to destroy evidence related to the leak.
By Monday, the once-respected military lawyer found herself behind bars, with a court extending her detention until Wednesday. She now faces allegations of fraud, breach of trust, and obstruction of justice.
Israeli media also reported the arrest of former chief military prosecutor Col. Matan Solomesh in connection with the leak. The Prime Minister’s Office has refused to comment on the case.
The video, now aired on Israeli media, shows soldiers escorting a detainee into a secluded area shielded by riot gear before violently assaulting him. Medical reports confirmed the Palestinian prisoner sustained life-threatening internal injuries and underwent emergency surgery before being returned to the prison.
The abuse case has exposed deep divisions in Israel, drawing attention away from the victims and toward the growing political polarization that has gripped the nation since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
In her resignation letter, Tomer-Yerushalmi defended her actions, stating that the military must uphold justice even against its own, stressing that violence against detainees “must never be tolerated.”
Analysts warn that the episode mirrors Israel’s deepening social fractures, with Yohanan Plesner of the Israel Democracy Institute calling the affair a “wake-up call” for a country still struggling with internal discord.
The scandal unfolded as Israel marked the 30th anniversary of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, a moment many Israelis remember as the darkest period of national division.
As investigations continue, Tomer-Yerushalmi’s fall from one of the military’s highest offices to a prison cell underscores the volatile intersection of law, politics, and conscience in a nation already on edge.