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Gaza Genocide12 April, 20261 min read

Netanyahu Appoints Military Secretary Roman Gofman As Mossad Chief Starting June 2026

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Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman becomes Mossad chief on June 2, 2026, for a five-year term. Senior appointments committee approved the appointment, Netanyahu signed the official letter.

Gofman Appointed Mossad Chief

Netanyahu formally appointed Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next head of the Mossad.

The appointment was approved by the advisory committee, though Grunis remained in the minority.

Gofman is a seasoned military general who has served as Netanyahu's military secretary since April 2024.

He was wounded during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023.

The nomination has drawn criticism from officials who say he lacks the traditional background.

Controversy Over Elmakayes Case

The committee's report dealt extensively with an incident involving 17-year-old Ori Elmakayes. Elmakayes was detained after being accused of publishing classified information. Grunis wrote that the use of a minor was an extremely serious ethical and moral flaw.

Elmakayes slammed the decision as ridiculous. The committee declined to hear directly from Elmakayes.

Divergent Views on Gofman

Gofman received praise from Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Zamir suggested Gofman could have replaced him as chief of staff. Barnea strongly opposed Gofman's appointment.

Ori Elmakayes vowed to fight to disqualify the appointment. The nomination has drawn criticism from civil society organizations.

Reporting for this sectionThe Jerusalem PostYnetnewsHaaretz

Gofman's Background and Role

Gofman emigrated to Israel in 1990 at age 14. He rose through the IDF Armored Corps, becoming a division commander. He was seriously wounded during the October 7, 2023 onslaught.

Before becoming military secretary, he wrote a controversial document on Gaza. The Mossad has been credited with eliminating leaders from Hezbollah and Iran.