A TIMELINE: From Leak to Crisis: How the Sde Teiman Scandal Shook Israel’s Legal and Military Establishment
The revelations surrounding the leak of classified security footage from the Sde Teiman detention facility have snowballed into one of the most dramatic and politically explosive sagas in recent Israeli history. What began as a probe into alleged abuse by IDF reservists has spiraled into a national controversy involving high-ranking officials, criminal investigations, and accusations of systemic deceit at the highest levels of power.
When Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, Israel’s former military advocate general, finally admitted on October 31, 2025, that she authorized the release of the footage, the admission detonated like a bombshell. The video—leaked to Channel 12 journalist Guy Peleg in 2024—appeared to depict severe mistreatment of a Palestinian detainee by soldiers at Sde Teiman. Tomer-Yerushalmi claimed her intent had been to push back against mounting right-wing criticism that she was persecuting soldiers during wartime. Her confession, however, now has her facing grave criminal allegations, including obstruction of justice, breach of trust, and abuse of office.
The story stretches back more than a year, beginning in July 2024, when a Palestinian prisoner at Sde Teiman was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, including broken ribs and internal trauma. The incident sparked an investigation by the Military Police, leading to the arrest of ten reservists from “Force 100,” the unit responsible for guarding detainees. Their detention triggered an uproar among right-wing activists and politicians, who stormed the base in protest. Several Knesset members, including Amichay Eliyahu of Otzma Yehudit, joined the rioters, denouncing what they saw as an unjust crackdown on Israeli heroes.
The footage that later surfaced in August 2024 was shocking. It seemed to confirm brutal conduct by the soldiers, though the prosecution’s later indictment stopped short of alleging rape, instead citing stabbing injuries near the rectum. Even so, the release of the footage—later revealed to be unauthorized—would eventually become the scandal’s focal point. At the time, the leak was viewed as mysterious, and speculation ran wild about who inside the IDF had dared to release such sensitive evidence.
Bereaved families from the group Baharnu B’Hayim petitioned the High Court of Justice in September 2024, demanding a criminal investigation into the leak. They argued that the footage was confidential evidence in an active military case, and that any internal probe by the same institutions under suspicion would be meaningless. Yet by early 2025, the court dismissed their claims after the Attorney General’s Office assured justices that an internal review—led by Deputy State Attorney Alon Altman and Col. Gal Asael—was underway.
In February 2025, indictments were filed against five of the reservists accused in the assault, but the question of who had leaked the tape lingered. That summer, Baharnu B’Hayim returned to court, urging that the Shin Bet take over the investigation. In September, the Attorney General’s Office declared the matter closed, insisting that “all leads were exhausted” and that “no viable investigative actions remained.” Critics now call that declaration fraudulent, claiming it was meant to shield the real culprit—Tomer-Yerushalmi herself.
The walls began closing in by late October 2025. During a Shin Bet polygraph examination of a communications officer from the Military Advocate General’s Office, the officer reportedly revealed that Tomer-Yerushalmi had personally ordered her to transmit the classified footage to the media. The revelation forced Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to open a formal criminal investigation. Within days, Tomer-Yerushalmi took leave from her post and submitted her resignation, acknowledging that she had authorized the leak “to counter false propaganda against the military justice system.” She wrote, “I take full responsibility for any material released from within my office.”
The fallout was immediate. Justice Minister Yariv Levin declared that Baharav-Miara could not oversee the case because of her prior involvement in the internal investigation. Baharav-Miara rejected his demand, calling it an illegal interference in judicial authority. Their standoff has since escalated into a fierce institutional battle, with some analysts warning of a brewing constitutional crisis.
Just when the public thought the scandal had reached its peak, the story took a bizarre turn. On November 2, 2025, Tomer-Yerushalmi disappeared for several hours, prompting a massive police and military search before she was located unharmed. Investigators now believe she may have used the disappearance to discard her cell phone—potentially containing incriminating evidence—into the sea. She allegedly left a note suggesting suicidal intent, though police sources now suspect the note was staged as a ruse.
The next day, police arrested both Tomer-Yerushalmi and her onetime deputy, Col. Matan Solomosh, who is accused of helping conceal her actions. Both were arraigned TODAY before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court on charges of obstruction of justice, fraud, and abuse of office. Their remand was extended as police investigate whether evidence was destroyed during the hours Tomer-Yerushalmi was missing.
As the legal drama unfolds, questions about accountability reverberate through Israel’s defense and justice systems. Once a respected figure in military law, Tomer-Yerushalmi now stands accused of the very misconduct she was sworn to prevent. Her downfall has not only upended Israel’s legal establishment. It has shaken public trust in the delicate balance between military discipline, justice, and politics.
{mATZAV.COM}