Israel's chief military legal officer on Monday warned against steps that would compromise court independence, in what appeared to be the clearest public criticism yet by top brass of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan. Military Advocate General Major Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi cautioned against Israel being stripped of one of its main defences on international legal issues, according to her speech at a conference of Israel's Bar Association in Tel Aviv. "The Israel Defence Forces (IDF)'s international legitimacy efforts are greatly benefited by the aura, the protection, with which the justice system provides it - particularly, the Supreme Court's professional and independent international status," said Tomer-Yerushalmi.