Allied Intelligence Services — 2026-05-10

Israel Appoints Major General Roman Gofman as New Mossad Director

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office confirmed on April 13 that Netanyahu signed appointment papers naming IDF Major General Roman Gofman, his Military Secretary, as Mossad director effective June 2, when incumbent David Barnea's five-year term ends. Xinhua reported the advisory committee approved Gofman 3-1, with chairman and former Supreme Court President Asher Grunis casting the lone dissent, writing that Gofman's "integrity-related shortcomings" made the appointment inappropriate. The Jerusalem Post reported that current and former Mossad officials have questioned Gofman's qualifications for the post, with some former senior officials calling him unqualified. The Post separately reported IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir's support for the appointment.

Analysis
Gofman is likely to assume the Mossad directorship by end of July 2026, with the formal advisory process closed and reporting converging across sources. The committee's 3-1 vote and chairman Grunis's written dissent citing integrity shortcomings, absent from prior coverage, surface institutional resistance that could generate political pressure for reconsideration. He enters with no intelligence agency experience, a military censure for improperly using a minor in a psychological operation, and weaker English than any recent predecessor. Direct access to Netanyahu, combat credibility, and Russian fluency for Moscow back-channel work are the offsets. Grunis's objection may reflect less a fitness concern than judicial-establishment resistance to Netanyahu's direct control over foreign intelligence.

2 sources

Roman Gofman Mossad Appointment 2026: Israel Names New Intelligence Chief - EduNovations
Roman Gofman appointed as next Mossad chief - Jerusalem Post