Israeli Treasury Condemns IDF for Secretly Paying 90% of Former Military Advocate's Severance

An unprecedented dispute has erupted between the Israeli Ministry of Finance and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) over the retirement terms and financial benefits granted to former Military Advocate General, Brigadier General (Res.) Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi. In a strongly worded letter sent on June 12, 2024, Michal Abadi-Boiangiu, the Accountant General of the Ministry of Finance, accused the IDF of bypassing state oversight mechanisms and unilaterally deciding financial matters during an ongoing criminal investigation.

The letter revealed that the IDF's Human Resources Directorate negotiated directly with Tomer-Yerushalmi's legal representatives, even covering their legal fees, and agreed on a full settlement of her severance terms. As part of this secret agreement, the IDF paid her an advance amounting to 90% of the total severance sum without prior coordination with the IDF Comptroller or the Ministry of Finance's Accountant General. Abadi-Boiangiu described this as a "financial coup" conducted in the dark, violating legal and administrative protocols.

The Ministry of Finance rejected the IDF's framing of the retirement decision as a purely "command decision" under the Chief of Staff's authority, emphasizing that such decisions must comply with legal and budgetary oversight. The former Military Advocate General was dismissed following a criminal investigation into allegations of obstruction of justice, fraud, and breach of trust related to the leaked video in the Field Yemen investigation. Despite the ongoing criminal proceedings, the IDF rushed to finalize secret retirement arrangements, which the Ministry now sharply criticizes.

Abadi-Boiangiu ordered an immediate halt to all related processes and instructed that no final financial or pension rights be agreed upon without prior approval from the Accountant General. Any payments made before the conclusion of legal proceedings will be considered advances without final recognition of entitlement, preserving the state's right to adjust payments based on judicial outcomes. The letter also clarified that criminal plea agreements cannot determine state financial obligations, which must follow proper administrative channels.

This conflict highlights tensions between military autonomy and civilian financial oversight in Israel, especially regarding high-profile cases under criminal investigation.