Academics Petition High Court to Bar Police Chief, National Security Minister from Sde Teiman Leak Probe

High Court Petition Filed Against Top Officials

A coalition of academics, operating under the name Academia for Democracy, has formally petitioned Israel's High Court of Justice, urging it to issue an order preventing Police Commissioner Danny Levy and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from any involvement in the ongoing Sde Teiman leak probe. The petition, filed on January 27, 2026, alleges significant and 'improper interference' in the investigation.

Allegations of Interference by Police Chief Levy

The academics contend that Police Commissioner Danny Levy has deliberately stalled the Sde Teiman leak probe for over a month. According to the petition, Levy received the investigation's findings from the police's investigations and intelligence division in mid-December but allegedly failed to transfer them to the State Attorney's Office for potential charges.

Further accusations include Levy forbidding Deputy Commissioner Boaz Blatt, head of the investigations and intelligence division, from updating the State Attorney's Office on the probe's progress. He is also alleged to have ordered 'supplementary' investigative actions, despite the investigative team deeming them unnecessary. The petitioners describe this as 'unprecedented interference in the management of a sensitive investigation' and assert it was 'done without authority and harms the rule of law.'

National Security Minister Ben Gvir's Alleged Influence

The petition suggests that Police Commissioner Levy's actions are a result of pressure from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Ben Gvir, who has served as Minister of National Security since 2022 (with a brief hiatus and reappointment in March 2025), is accused by Academia for Democracy of seeking to 'find dirt' on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The academics claim this is an attempt to implicate Baharav-Miara in the leak and its subsequent cover-up, amidst government efforts to remove her from office. The petition highlights a 'real concern of improper political influence on the investigation.'

Context of the Sde Teiman Leak Probe

The Sde Teiman leak probe centers on the illicit dissemination of a video that allegedly depicts reservists sexually assaulting a Gazan inmate at the Sde Teiman military base. This video, which surfaced in July 2024, led to public outcry and the indictment of several soldiers. The controversy deepened when Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, then Military Advocate General, admitted to authorizing and amplifying the release of the footage, stating it was 'to fend off public criticism.' She subsequently resigned and faced an investigation for obstruction of justice, fraud, breach of trust, abuse of authority, and concealment of evidence. Allegations of a cover-up regarding the leak's source have also been directed at Brig.-Gen. Gal Asael, the Deputy Military Advocate-General.