Who Is Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi & What Led to Shocking Resignation of Israel’s First Female Military Advocate General?

Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi is an Israeli military lawyer who served as the Chief Military Advocate General (MAG) of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). She made history as the first woman to head the Military Advocate General’s Corps and the second woman to reach the rank of Major General in the IDF. During her service, she handled major legal and disciplinary cases, including representing the army before a special committee that ordered the demotion of Colonel Elhanan Tannenbaum to private. 

Why Did Israel’s Top Military Lawyer, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, Resign?

Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned after admitting to authorizing the leak of a sensitive video that allegedly showed Israeli soldiers abusing Palestinian detainees at the Sde Teiman detention facility during the Gaza conflict.
Her admission came after a criminal investigation was launched into the leak. She formally submitted her resignation to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on October 31, 2025. Tomer-Yerushalmi had been on leave since the investigation began and is expected to be questioned under caution in the coming days.

Who Was Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi?

Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi grew up in Netanya, Israel. She studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the Military Academic Reserve Program and graduated with honors in 1996. She joined the Military Advocate General’s Corps the same year and was certified as a lawyer in 1997 after interning at the Chief Military Prosecutor’s office.

In 1999, she earned her master’s degree in law from Tel Aviv University with distinction and also served as a teaching assistant in criminal law. Later, in 2003, the IDF sent her to the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, where she completed another master’s degree with distinction. She is also a graduate of the IDF Command and Staff College “Afak.”

How was Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi Career?

• Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi began her career in the 1990s as a legal assistant to Chief Military Prosecutor Menachem Finkelstein. She later became deputy prosecutor of the Central Command and head of the Legal Supervision Branch.
• In 2007, she became a military court judge, and in 2010, she was promoted to deputy president of the military court for the General Staff and Home Front.
• In 2015, she was appointed head of the Advisory and Legislation Department and promoted to brigadier general, advising IDF branches on constitutional and civil law.
• By 2019, she was named Advisor for Gender Affairs, where she established the Metsapim Center to support soldiers balancing service and parenthood.
• On September 1, 2021, she became the Chief Military Advocate General and was promoted to Major General, marking a milestone for women in the IDF.
• However, on October 31, 2025, she resigned after admitting to authorizing a media leak connected to the Sde Teiman investigation.

Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi Family

Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi is married and the mother of three children. She currently resides in Ramat HaSharon, Israel.

Also Read: Why Did Israel’s Top Military Prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi Resign After Leaking Palestinian Detainee Abuse Video?