فيديو مُسرب يهز إسرائيل ويُكلف المستشارة العسكرية حريتها

In a dramatic turn of events, Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, the former senior legal advisor to the Israeli occupation army, was arrested yesterday after admitting to leaking a video showing Israeli soldiers brutally assaulting a Palestinian detainee from Gaza.

Tomer Yerushalmi is facing charges that include fraud, breach of trust, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and revealing official information in her capacity as a public employee. In her resignation letter last week, she acknowledged that she allowed the video to be published "to calm the attacks" on the army investigators and prosecutors in the case.

The Leaked Video

The video was released in August 2024 and shows about five Israeli soldiers at the military detention center Sde Tzafon in southern Israel, inflicting severe physical violence on a Palestinian detainee from Gaza, which led to the latter being hospitalized with broken ribs, a punctured lung, and permanent damage to the rectum. The case of the arrest has raised deep questions about the rule of law in Israel, the state's responsibility for violations against Palestinians, and the effectiveness of investigative bodies amid escalating military and international legal pressures.

Government and Political Context

Following the leak of the video, extreme right-wing and government circles in Israel launched attacks on Tomer Yerushalmi, accusing her of causing "serious damage" to the image of the state and the army, describing the investigation into the soldiers as a project to undermine the state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized in a statement released on Sunday that "the incident at Sde Tzafon caused immense damage to the image of the State of Israel and the Israeli army, and may have been the most severe public relations attack the state has faced since its establishment."

After the Arrest... Reactions

After her resignation, Tomer Yerushalmi was out of sight for hours, and her empty car was found on the Tel Aviv beach with a note inside, raising concerns for her safety. Authorities later found her and then arrested her. The investigations are not limited to the leak but also include whether she confirmed or covered up broader investigations into potential war crimes committed by the Israeli army during its aggression against Gaza.

Why Is This Case Important?

This incident highlights the extent of pressure from politics, ideology, and extremism within the security and judicial institutions in Israel.

The case reopens the discussion about the extent of Israel's commitment to international laws and the rights of Palestinian detainees, at a time when it is under increasing international scrutiny.

It serves as a test of the ability of judicial institutions in Israel to conduct genuine accountability during times of war and security crises.