Former MAG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi to attend remand via Zoom as Israel Police deepen Sde Teiman leak investigation; AG under scrutiny.
Jerusalem — In a dramatic development within Israel’s unfolding Sde Teiman leak affair, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday granted former Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi’s request to appear remotely via Zoom at her upcoming remand hearing, citing her “current condition” and the sensitivity of recent events.
The decision, approved by both her defense counsel and the Israel Police’s investigative unit, highlights the extraordinary nature of an investigation that has shaken Israel’s top military legal echelon.
Police sources confirmed they will seek a three-day extension of Tomer-Yerushalmi’s detention, while prosecutors plan to request an additional two days for Col. (res.) Matan Solomesh, the former chief military prosecutor arrested alongside her.
⚖️ The Sde Teiman Affair — Israel’s Legal Establishment Under a Microscope
Tomer-Yerushalmi’s arrest stems from the investigation into the leak of a classified video allegedly connected to the Sde Teiman (Force 100) case, which concerned the treatment of detained terrorists at a Negev-based IDF facility.
Authorities suspect the former MAG of submitting a false affidavit to Israel’s Supreme Court and obstructing investigative proceedings — charges unprecedented for someone of her senior standing in Israel’s defense establishment.
The probe is being jointly conducted by the Israel Police and remains under the direct supervision of the Attorney General’s Office, the State Attorney, and the Investigations Division Chief.
🏛️ Attorney General Denies Ties — Supreme Court Orders Response
Amid mounting public scrutiny, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara issued a statement Wednesday morning asserting she has “no connection whatsoever to the case” and was unaware of the emerging evidence prior to the arrests.
“No information pointing to the source of the leak or any related criminal offenses was previously available to law enforcement,” Baharav-Miara said.
However, allegations of a potential conflict of interest have now reached the Supreme Court, where Deputy President Justice Noam Sohlberg has ordered the AG to formally respond by Thursday to petitions calling for her recusal from any role in the ongoing investigation.
🔍 A Battle for Institutional Credibility
The Sde Teiman affair has quickly escalated from an internal military matter into a national test of legal integrity and civil-military accountability. Analysts warn that if suspicions of collusion or cover-ups are validated, the scandal could deeply scar public trust in Israel’s judicial establishment — at a time when the country is already navigating high-stakes security and political challenges.
Yet, as one senior security source told Israel National News:
“Israel’s democracy proves its strength not by hiding scandals, but by exposing them — even when they reach the very top.”
🇮🇱 The Broader Context
The investigation has reignited debate over the balance between military ethics, national security secrecy, and civilian oversight. While critics accuse certain legal officials of shielding one another, government figures stress that Israel’s independent judiciary remains fully operational and transparent, ensuring that no official — however senior — stands above the law.
As the hearings resume, Israel’s eyes will remain fixed on two intertwined questions: who leaked the Sde Teiman footage — and who tried to bury the truth?
