Attorney Ofir, who was recommended by the Chief of Staff for appointment to the position, was the legal advisor to the defense establishment, and was among the three candidates for the position of Attorney General in 2022 - when Gali Baharav-Miara was elected. Defense Minister Israel Katz announced his appointment:"Outside the prosecution system"
Yoav Zeiton
,
Liran Tamari
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Attorney Itai Ofir will be the Chief Military Advocate, replacing Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who
Resigned from her position
This was announced at noon (Tuesday) by Defense Minister Yisrael Katz. Ofir was one of the names recommended by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, but the Defense Minister ignored him in his announcement. Ofir, who was a combat officer in the 12th Reserve Brigade (Negev), will be promoted to the rank of major general as is customary.
2 Viewing the gallery
Attorney Itai Ofir (Photo: Elad Malka, Ministry of Defense)
Ofir was the legal advisor to the defense establishment between 2017 and 2024, and was also
One of the candidates for the position of Attorney General in 2022
, then Gali Baharav-Miara was finally selected. The new Chief Military Advocate holds a bachelor's degree in law and a master's degree in business administration from Bar-Ilan University and a master's degree in law from Harvard University in the United States. During his military service, he was an officer in the Givati Brigade, and in the reserves he served in the"Negev" Brigade.
The Minister of Defense said that"it is of great importance at this time, in light of the serious facts that are being revealed, to immediately appoint a chief military prosecutor from outside the prosecution system - one who is not tainted by any suspicion and has the appropriate qualifications, who will be able to work to clean up, restore and organize the military prosecution system." According to him,"Attorney Itay Ofir has the appropriate qualifications to fulfill this complex and challenging role, the importance of which is intensified at this time thanks to his vision, experience, abilities and the roles he has held in the past."
It was Ophir who
Submitted the opinion on behalf of the security establishment
which determined that former Defense Minister Benny Gantz could appoint a Chief of Staff even during the 2022 election period. Gantz ultimately chose Brigadier General Herzi Halevi over Eyal Zamir.
Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi and Col. Matan Solomesh. During the search, it was decided to arrest the plaintiff (Photo: IDF website Avigail Uzi, Mickey Schmidt)
Ofir will replace as MAG Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned from her position last Friday, in a letter in which she admitted that she approved the leak of the video from the Yemeni field, allegedly to"repel false propaganda" that was hurled at the Military Prosecutor's Office following the investigation of the reserve fighters.
In a conversation with the Chief of Staff, Tomer-Yerushalmi took full responsibility for the leak of the video, and in her resignation letter she wrote:"As the head of the Military Attorney's Office, and out of a deep sense of responsibility to the IDF, the unit, and my subordinates, I approved the release of material to the media, in an attempt to repel the false propaganda against law enforcement officials in the army. I bear full responsibility for any material that was released to the media from within the ranks of the unit. My decision to terminate my position as Chief Military Attorney also stems from this responsibility."
The police decision: to arrest the plaintiff - during the search.
Tomer-Yerushalmi has served as the Chief Military Prosecutor since 2021. In her letter, she admitted in effect that the Military Prosecutor's Office, under her leadership, opened a fictitious investigation after the video was leaked in an apparent attempt to locate the individuals responsible for it. An affidavit on the subject was even submitted to the High Court of Justice following a petition demanding the opening of an investigation.
Since resigning, the outgoing MPA managed to be absent for hours last Sunday - until she was located on the beach in Herzliya. She was taken there for tests, and at the end she was arrested. Yesterday she was brought to a hearing at the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, where her detention was extended until tomorrow. She
Appealed the decision to the Tel Aviv District Court
, but the appeal was rejected. The judge in the Magistrate's Court forbade her from being photographed during the hearing.
During Sunday evening, while large forces were searching for Tomer-Yerushalmi, the police made a decision not to wait for further developments - and to arrest former Chief Military Prosecutor Col. Matan Solomesh. His arrest was also extended in court yesterday until tomorrow.
