The Legal Advisor to the Prime Minister, Gali Baharav-Miara, and State Attorney, Amit Isman, have approved a police recommendation to launch an investigation into Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, MK Nissim Vaturi, and MK Zvi Sukkot, who are suspected of breaking into the "Sade Yemen" military base during a chaotic incident involving reserve soldiers and Military Police Investigators (MPI).
response to the investigation, MK Nissim Vaturi has publicly refused to cooperate, describing the probe as politically motivated. "Don't shut me up! I will not appear for a political investigation from the school of the Deep State attorney and the legal advisor of the Kaplan sect," Vaturi posted on his X account. He further accused Baharav-Miara and Isman of orchestrating a revenge campaign against right-wing MKs and demanded that other political figures, including MK Yair Golan and former officials such as Ehud Barak, be investigated as well. "This is another shameless attempt by the duo Gali and Amit to take revenge," Vaturi wrote.
"IDF Soldiers Deserve Justice"
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu reacted to the investigation with a defense of his actions. He welcomed the Attorney General's decision, stating, "I welcome the decision of the attorney general to open an investigation against the distributors of the trending defamatory video from the Yemeni field, which caused great damage to the IDF and the State of Israel." Eliyahu emphasized that IDF soldiers deserve state protection against those spreading harmful lies about them, insisting that the investigation was an objective and professional process, unaffected by politics.
Ben-Gvir Slams Selective Law Enforcement
Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, responded sharply to the decision, accusing the Attorney General and State Attorney of selective enforcement. He criticized the investigation into right-wing MKs while pointing to unaddressed offenses by left-wing figures, including MK Gilad Kariv and former officials like Yair Golan. "This is what selective enforcement and the complete politicization of the law enforcement system look like," Ben-Gvir asserted.
Incident at Sade Yemen Base Leads to Investigation
The investigation stems from a high-profile incident in August 2024, when MPI investigators arrived at the Sade Yemen base to detain a group of reserve soldiers suspected of abusing a detainee. Tensions escalated as a crowd of MKs, including Vaturi, Eliyahu, and Sukkot, arrived at the scene to protest the detentions. MK Zvi Sukkot is specifically accused of breaking into the base, while Vaturi and Eliyahu joined the crowd in chanting slogans like "Death to the terrorists" and "Run home."
Legal Action Following Opposition's Appeal
The investigation was initiated after a formal complaint from Democratic Party Chairwoman MK Efrat Reitan. She urged the Attorney General to open a criminal probe into the MKs, citing serious offenses related to the violation of military authority and interference with IDF soldiers performing their duties. "The immunity law does not apply to breaking into military bases," Reitan said, demanding that the MKs be held accountable.
MK Sukkot Defends His Actions in Radio Interview
In a radio interview, MK Zvi Sukkot defended his actions at the Sade Yemen base. He explained that after seeing disturbing videos, he felt compelled to investigate the situation firsthand. "This attempt to turn what happened into a break-in into IDF bases is spin," Sukkot said. "I can go into a place that you can't go into, and that's so we can monitor what's happening. I don’t see myself cooperating with this spin."
The investigation into the three MKs continues, with significant political ramifications expected as the fallout from the incident continues to unfold.
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