“We found the phone exactly where she was found. I hope it’s really hers,” one of those present told Walla.
In the wake of the reported disappearance of former military advocate general Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi’s phone, a group of civilians scanned Tel Aviv’s HaTzuk Beach on Monday evening in search of the device.
Tomer-Yerushalmi had gone missing on Sunday night, and after two hours of searching, was subsequently found alive. She was found, however, according to Israeli media reports, without her phone, which had reportedly disappeared.
Additionally, on Monday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed that Tomer-Yerushalmi had hidden her phone and that the device contained materials that would legally implicate Attorney-General Gali Baharav‑Miara.
The civilians who joined the search included Eitan Nahum, an importer and distributor of metal detectors.
After arriving at the scene with detectors, flashlights, and other scanning equipment, Nahum and the other individuals present made their way along the waterline at the spot where Tomer-Yerushalmi was found.
IDF Military Advocate-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi seen at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, October 1, 2024 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Later, they claimed to have located a mobile phone near the area, and police collected it for examination. No evidence has thus far been published to suggest the phone belonged to Tomer-Yerushalmi.
Beach-searchers hope to have found Tomer-Yerushalmi’s phone
“We found the phone exactly where she was found. I hope it’s really hers,” Nahum told Walla. “We handed the device over to the police. If it turns out it’s not hers, we’ll return tomorrow with dozens more civilians to continue searching until we find it.”
Nahum, whose son enlisted in the IDF last week, said he is part of a community of more than 4,000 metal detector enthusiasts, some of whom came to help.
“We’re doing this from the heart. What was done to those soldiers feels as if it was done to my own child,” he said, adding, “I was very angry when I heard about the leak. When you think about integrity, it teaches you not to be naive.”
Police confirmed that the device found was taken for examination, noting that if it is determined not to belong to Tomer-Yerushalmi, the search for the missing phone will continue.
Police sources said yesterday that, according to an initial assessment, Tomer-Yerushalmi’s disappearance may have served as a distraction intended to obstruct the investigation against her in the Sde Teiman leak case.