Israel’s former top military lawyer, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, has been arrested over a leaked video showing alleged abuse of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli soldiers. The video, broadcast in August 2024, depicts soldiers at the Sde Teiman military detention center beating and sexually assaulting a handcuffed Palestinian detainee, causing severe injuries, including broken ribs and rectal damage.
Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned last week, admitted to leaking the video to counter false propaganda against the military law enforcement system. She’s facing charges of fraud, breach of trust, abuse of office, obstruction of justice, and disclosure of official information.¹ ² ³
The incident has sparked intense debate in Israel, with right-wing politicians accusing Tomer-Yerushalmi of damaging the country’s global standing, while others praise her for exposing alleged systemic abuse. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the leak “perhaps the most severe public relations attack that the state of Israel has experienced since its establishment”.⁴ ⁵ ⁶
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