Hours after a frantic search was launched for Israel’s Chief Military Prosecutor, Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, police confirmed Sunday night that she had been located alive and in stable condition.
Authorities said Tomer-Yerushalmi managed to make contact with her husband, who immediately notified police of her whereabouts. She was discovered roughly one kilometer from the main search area and was promptly transported for a medical evaluation.
Earlier in the day, widespread concern erupted when she failed to make contact since morning. Police initiated a large-scale operation, quickly joined by the IDF, as the Chief of Staff ordered the military’s Operations Directorate to utilize all available assets to find her. Helicopters, boats, and flares were deployed across the coastline.
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir personally reached out to Police Commissioner Daniel Levi for continuous updates on the search efforts. The operation was concentrated around HaTsuk Beach in Tel Aviv, where her car had been discovered running and abandoned. Near the vehicle, search teams reportedly uncovered what appeared to be a suicide note, intensifying fears for her safety.
Tomer-Yerushalmi was expected to face questioning in the coming days over allegations including obstruction of justice, mishandling classified information, and giving false testimony.
Her disappearance came on the heels of a political firestorm sparked by her resignation and its connection to the controversial leak of footage allegedly showing abuse of detainees at the Sde Teiman base. During Sunday’s Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not hold back his criticism.
“The incident in Sde Teiman caused immense damage to the image of the State of Israel and the IDF, to our soldiers. This is perhaps the most severe public relations attack that the State of Israel has experienced since its establishment. I do not recall one so focused with such intensity. This demands an independent, impartial investigation, and I expect such an investigation to be carried out,” the Prime Minister stated.
According to reports, Tomer-Yerushalmi acknowledged her role in the leak in her resignation letter, a move that provoked widespread backlash and ignited heated political debate.
Likud spokesman Guy Levy unleashed a scathing statement against the Attorney General, saying, “All this madness we are seeing now is the direct result of the crazy investigation disruption that the Attorney General is carrying out for over two weeks. She did not arrest the Advocate-General, did not take her mobile devices, did not take her statement, and did not even put her in protective custody. The Attorney General must be arrested tonight!”
MK Tzvi Succot of Religious Zionism took to social media to demand accountability, tweeting, “In a country where security was increased at the time for the Military Advocate-General when she ordered Force 100 arrested and the investigation of the Prime Minister’s associates for leaking, someone needs to explain how there was at least no close surveillance on her.”
Other coalition lawmakers echoed similar sentiments, urging authorities to detain Tomer-Yerushalmi and other prosecution officials “for her safety and to ensure that the truth can be investigated.”
Tensions escalated further when protest leader Shkama Bresler posted a false report claiming that Tomer-Yerushalmi had died, accusing the Netanyahu government of driving her to suicide and adding “R.I.P.” to her message. Police Commissioner Levi has ordered an investigation into Bresler’s post.
Opposition leaders called for restraint. Blue and White chief Benny Gantz reacted to the news with a message of reflection, tweeting, “This is a wake-up call for all of us – we all need to stop for introspection.”
Meanwhile, MK Simcha Rothman, chair of the Constitution Committee, and MK Boaz Bismuth, head of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, announced that their joint session scheduled for Monday — focused on potential conflicts of interest in the Force 100 investigation — would be postponed in light of the day’s developments.
The Generation of Victory reservists’ organization also issued a statement saying it would cancel a planned protest outside Tomer-Yerushalmi’s residence out of respect for the ongoing situation.
By evening’s end, what began as a desperate search had turned into a wave of relief — and renewed political turmoil — as one of Israel’s most controversial figures was found alive amid a storm still far from over.
{Matzav.com}
