Netanyahu labels leaked video Israel’s ‘most serious’ PR attack
A video from 2024, reportedly leaked, purports to show Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner at a detention facility.
Benjamin Netanyahu has characterized the circulation of a video, which allegedly depicts Israeli soldiers sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee, as the “most serious public relations attack against Israel.”
The footage, recorded at the Sde Teiman base near the Gaza border, showed soldiers escorting a blindfolded detainee, then surrounding him with riot shields while the alleged abuse occurred. The video was broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12 in August 2024 after being leaked, sparking widespread outrage.
Subsequently, the detainee received medical treatment for a ruptured bowel, severe anal and lung injuries, and broken ribs. Initially, five reservists were investigated for rape, but charges were later reduced to “severe abuse,” according to an indictment issued in February. All involved denied the accusations, and their trial is ongoing.
The controversy resurfaced on Friday when Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the Israel Defense Force’s (IDF) chief military lawyer, acknowledged her approval for the video’s release before resigning from her position.
During a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu condemned the incident, stating that the leak “caused enormous reputational damage to Israel, to the IDF, and to our soldiers.”
“It is perhaps the most serious public relations attack Israel has experienced since its founding – I cannot recall one so concentrated and intense,” Netanyahu remarked, as reported by The Times of Israel, also advocating for “an independent and impartial inquiry.”
The leak followed the apprehension of reservists accused of abuse, which led to right-wing protests demanding their release. In her resignation statement, Tomer-Yerushalmi explained she released the video amidst pressure to halt the investigation, asserting her obligation to act upon “reasonable suspicion of violence against a detainee.”
Conversely, several right-wing politicians, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, have since asserted that the release of the security camera footage constituted a “blood libel” against soldiers falsely accused, despite their indictments. A criminal investigation into the leak itself commenced last week.
The case drew strong condemnation from a UN commission examining Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, which suggested it “represented the tip of the iceberg.” The commission noted that detainees at Sde Teiman and other Israeli detention facilities were routinely shackled, beaten, and subjected to acts of a sexual nature. These and other findings earlier this year prompted the UN to level accusations of genocide against Israel regarding its actions towards Palestinians.