Defense Minister Katz Appoints Itai Ofir as New Israeli Military Advocate General Amid Leadership Dispute

Defense Minister Israel Katz appointed Itai Ofir as the next military advocate general of the IDF, following the resignation of Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi amid a leak scandal involving abuse footage. Ofir, who served as the Defense Ministry's legal adviser from 2017 to 2024 and holds degrees from Bar-Ilan University and Harvard, was selected by Katz without prior notification to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, which deviates from the usual process where the chief of staff selects the candidate. Katz emphasized that Ofir, an outsider to the military prosecution system, is qualified to cleanse and reorganize the military prosecution, especially due to recent serious revelations. The appointment has received praise from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who described Ofir as a first-rate professional with strong Zionist values. Ofir replaces Tomer-Yerushalmi, who admitted to leaking sensitive evidence to counter what she deemed false propaganda against military law enforcement and resigned taking full responsibility. The IDF has not officially commented on the appointment, and there remain legal questions about its acceptance given the deviation from the standard appointment procedure.