Elite Unit Soldiers Sue Military Prosecution for $18 Million

Three soldiers from the elite "Duvdevan" Unit 100 have filed an NIS 18 million (approximately $4.8 million USD) lawsuit against numerous individuals and entities, including former Military Advocate General (MAG) Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, State Prosecutor Amit Issar, and Channel 12 news reporter Guy Peleg. The soldiers allege they suffered severe injustices, including false accusations of a serious sexual offense, wrongful arrest, defamation, invasion of privacy, and an unlawful indictment, along with a cover-up of an investigation into leaks.

The lawsuit, filed in the Jerusalem District Court, claims that the soldiers endured a series of wrongs throughout the affair, starting from the initial suspicions and their high-profile arrest, through the leak of investigation materials, and the subsequent handling of the leak investigation. The soldiers contend that an effective investigation into the leak was not opened for months, and the subsequent review was insufficient.

According to the lawsuit, misleading representations were made to the High Court of Justice regarding the leak and the extent of exposure to sensitive materials. The plaintiffs allege that senior figures in the prosecution and law enforcement system concealed the identity of those responsible for the leaks, causing them "cruel delay" from August 6, 2024, until the indictment was canceled on March 12, 2026.

The soldiers also claim that State Prosecutor Amit Issar and others responsible for handling the case failed for months to order a criminal investigation into the leakers and the circumstances of the material transfer to the media. The lawsuit further criticizes the handling of the criminal proceedings against them, alleging that the former MAG and others conducted a hearing that was marred by a severe conflict of interest, ultimately leading to a flawed indictment.

The soldiers point to the current Military Advocate General, Itai Ofir, who canceled the indictment after a renewed hearing, as evidence of the original proceedings' defects. Attorney Menashe Yado of the Honenu organization described the lawsuit as "complex against powerful figures" who allegedly "conspired to severely harm the soldiers" and acted in "gross violation of the rule of law and equal rights of the individual against the law enforcement system."