New revelations expose Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi’s direct role in a coordinated MAG Corps leak to mislead investigators in the Sde Teiman affair.
A shocking revelation has shattered Israel’s military legal establishment, as new details about the lie detector test that exposed Ex-Military Advocate General (MAG) Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi reveal what investigators describe as a deliberate, orchestrated cover-up inside the very body meant to uphold military law — the MAG Corps.
The explosive information surfaced during a routine Shin Bet polygraph test conducted on a senior officer considered for promotion. When asked, “Did you commit a crime?” the officer unexpectedly confessed — revealing she was the one who leaked a classified video related to alleged abuse of a detained terrorist in the Sde Teiman detention facility. Crucially, she stated that she acted under direct orders from the MAG herself.
The Shin Bet immediately relayed the confession to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and the Israel Police, triggering a full-blown criminal investigation that has since engulfed the top echelons of the IDF legal command.
According to investigators, the officer’s testimony detailed a secret WhatsApp group of seven senior MAG officers, including Tomer-Yerushalmi, who coordinated the leak following public outrage over the Sde Teiman affair. Members of the group reportedly lamented that then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Spokesman Daniel Hagari were “not defending them” amid media criticism.
The officers debated two strategies:
- A quiet press briefing without revealing internal materials.
- A targeted leak designed to shape public perception.
Tomer-Yerushalmi allegedly rejected the first, declaring, “A briefing won’t have the same effect. Now we take this into our own hands.” Shortly afterward, the controversial video was deliberately leaked, achieving the intended public impact — a manipulation meant to shield the MAG Corps and divert scrutiny.
But the plan backfired. When a petition reached the Supreme Court, Tomer-Yerushalmi ordered an internal “investigation” into the leak — appointing her own deputy, who was allegedly part of the conspiracy, to lead it.
Police sources described the conduct as “a textbook case of internal subversion — using leaks, deception, and abuse of authority to protect the elite.” The investigation now centers on obstruction of justice, breach of trust, and conspiracy to falsify legal oversight.
The scandal has rocked Israel’s military legal system, with critics calling it one of the most serious ethical breaches in decades. Analysts warn the affair could undermine public confidence in the IDF’s judicial integrity and deepen the crisis of trust between Israel’s soldiers and its legal hierarchy.
