Defense Minister Yisrael Katz decided not to allow the head of the IDF, Brigadier General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, to participate in the Bar Association conference that is expected to be held this week - this is in light of the public and polemical nature of the event.
According to a report by Michael Shemesh, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir supported the MAG's participation in the Bar Association conference, as has been customary over the years, and even forwarded her request to the Defense Minister's office on the matter - but despite this, Katz decided to ban her participation in the conference.
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In response to her request, the minister replied: "In this challenging and complex period of political debates and disputes, it is appropriate for the IDF to distance itself as much as possible from public controversies.".
He said, "It would be better for the MPA to dedicate her time to fulfilling her role in the IDF, including completing the investigations into issues for which the public expects answers, and providing assistance to IDF commanders and soldiers in refuting domestic and foreign fabrications regarding the conduct of IDF soldiers in the war in Gaza.".
The minister added that it is also of great importance to provide legal protection to IDF soldiers, especially reservists visiting abroad, in the face of what he defined as "a large wave of persecution and attempts to prosecute - which is also based on futile complaints from Israel.".
The minister emphasized: "It is important that the system headed by the MAG ensures the IDF's ability to take all necessary steps to defeat the cruel enemy we face - and ensure the security of the state.".
The IDF spokesman issued a statement against Minister Katz's decision: "The Chief of Staff approved the participation of the IDF's attorney general in the Bar Association conference a few days ago. This is out of the utmost importance of explaining the efforts being made in the IDF to uphold the law and international law. This explanation is especially important at a time when the IDF is required to deal with false claims and false accusations against IDF soldiers and fighters.".
It was further stated that "the MAG's remarks at the conference were to deal with the manner in which the legal tools enable the IDF to fight Hamas in accordance with the law, in the various combat arenas, and all in accordance with the provisions of international law.".
""The Military Prosecution Service, headed by the Attorney General, works throughout the war to assist the IDF and its commanders in achieving the war's goals.".
The Minister of Defense responded to the IDF and Chief of Staff's announcement: "After considering all the matters, I decided not to approve the participation of the MAG in the Bar Association conference for the reasons I detailed in my announcement on the subject. The Chief of Staff received an update regarding my decision even before the announcement was published.".
The broadcaster emphasized: "The authority on this issue lies under my responsibility as Minister of Defense vis-à-vis the military system, which is subject to my discretion, and accordingly I made the decision.
""I will continue to work with the Chief of Staff and the IDF leadership together to maintain the security of the State of Israel.".
Minister Katz's decision - as expected - drew an attack against the minister from the left.
Commentator Amit Segal addressed the decision and the public's concern about it - and wrote: "The bizarre incident is not that the Minister of Defense forbids the MP from participating in a civilian conference, but that she is still an officer in the IDF after speaking out against a political move, and along the way, authorized officers up to lieutenant colonel to participate in protests against civilians.".
Segal's words refer to Tomer-Yerushalmi's words during the legal reform period, when she warned against harming the independence of the judicial system and said that this could remove legal protections from the IDF in the international arena.
