Former Soldiers Sue Military Advocate General, State for $4.8 Million

Three former soldiers from the elite Sayeret Matkal unit have filed a NIS 18 million (approximately $4.8 million) lawsuit against the former Military Advocate General (MAG), the State Attorney's Office, and other defendants, alleging severe injustices including false accusations, wrongful arrest, defamation, and mishandling of a leak investigation. The suit, filed in the Jerusalem District Court by attorneys from the Honenu organization and the Miron, Prives, Ben Zion law firm, claims damages stemming from a series of alleged wrongs that began with false suspicions and a high-profile arrest.

The soldiers are seeking compensation for NIS 1.5 million for false accusations of a serious sexual offense, NIS 450,000 for a 15-day wrongful arrest, NIS 3 million for defamation, NIS 1 million for a false indictment, and NIS 500,000 for the alleged cover-up of a leak investigation. The lawsuit also names former MAG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, current State Attorney Amit Aisman, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Channel 12 News reporter Guy Peleg, and the Israeli government as defendants.

The legal action extends beyond the 2024 media publications, encompassing the entire chain of events. The plaintiffs allege that authorities responsible for investigating the leak of investigation materials deliberately delayed an effective probe for months. They further claim that a subsequent internal review was insufficient to uncover the full truth and that misleading information was presented to the Supreme Court regarding the leak and the extent of exposure to the leaked materials.

Attorneys for the soldiers argue that senior figures in the prosecution and law enforcement allegedly covered up the leak's perpetrators and provided misleading information to the Supreme Court, causing prolonged suffering. They contend that instead of identifying the leakers, actions were taken to obstruct the investigation. The lawsuit criticizes the original criminal proceedings, asserting that the soldiers' defense claims regarding the leak were dismissed despite a conflict of interest, and that the subsequent cancellation of the indictment by the current MAG, Itay Ofir, indicates the initial process was fundamentally flawed.

Menashe Yado, an attorney representing the soldiers, stated, "This is a complex lawsuit against powerful entities, including the former command echelon of the Military Advocate General's Corps and Channel 12 News, Israel's most powerful media outlet, who have joined forces to severely harm the soldiers, and against heads of law enforcement agencies who protect the MAG out of value-based identification and systemic proximity, thereby severely harming the rule of law and the equal rights of the individual against the law enforcement system."