Defense Minister Katz Demands IDF Chief Strip Rights from Dismissed Military Advocate Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has called on IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to take immediate action against Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the dismissed military advocate. Katz demanded that all possible military legal proceedings be pursued against her and that no decisions be made that could ease her situation ahead of a potential conviction. He emphasized the severity of her offenses, noting that Tomer-Yerushalmi admitted to serious criminal acts and had falsely accused IDF soldiers to protect Palestinian militants from the Nukhba unit.

Katz highlighted the gravity of the case due to her former role as head of the military law enforcement system during the commission of these offenses. He stressed the damaging message her actions send to the families of IDF soldiers, who feel abandoned due to her alleged misconduct and criminal behavior. Katz also referenced the recent cancellation of the trial against soldiers in the Shde-Tayman case by the new military advocate general, who replaced Tomer-Yerushalmi, calling it an important but insufficient step.

Further criticizing the civilian judicial system, Katz accused it of delaying the indictment process against Tomer-Yerushalmi, which he said hampers the ability to take additional measures such as imprisonment and stripping her military ranks. Katz concluded by instructing Zamir to exhaust all legal avenues against her and to avoid any leniency that might undermine future prosecution efforts, in line with his policy as defense minister.