Netanyahu Selects Military Secretary Roman Gofman to Lead Israel’s Mossad

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has chosen his current military secretary, Major General Roman Gofman, to serve as the next director of the Mossad, Israel’s powerful foreign intelligence agency. The selection—which places a career military commander with no formal intelligence background at the helm—marks one of the most consequential security appointments of Netanyahu’s current term.

The Prime Minister’s Office announced the decision on Thursday, confirming that Gofman will succeed David Barnea, whose five-year tenure ends in June 2026.

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A Battlefield Commander Turned Senior Adviser

Born in Belarus in 1976 and immigrating to Israel at age 14, Gofman enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces’ armored corps in 1995. He rose steadily through the ranks, leading combat units and overseeing major training operations.

At the outbreak of the Gaza war following Hamas’s assault on October 7, 2023, Gofman commanded Israel’s national infantry training center. He was seriously wounded that same day during clashes with Hamas gunmen in the southern city of Sderot, near the Gaza border.

After recovering, he was appointed military secretary—a senior advisory position inside the Prime Minister’s Office—in April 2024, where he became deeply involved in wartime decision-making.

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A Politically Aligned Appointment

Gofman is widely viewed as ideologically aligned with Netanyahu’s nationalist camp. Although he does not wear a kippah, he studied at one of the best-known religious Zionist yeshivas in the Ely settlement in the occupied West Bank—an institution associated with hard-line positions.

His appointment comes months after Netanyahu selected David Zini, another figure rooted in the religious Zionist movement, to lead Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency. That nomination sparked significant political controversy inside Israel.

This time, however, the backlash has been relatively muted. One notable critic, Haaretz columnist Uri Misgav, argued that Gofman is “unfit to head Mossad” because he lacks intelligence experience and suggested his loyalty to Netanyahu played a decisive role.

In response, Netanyahu’s office praised Gofman as “an officer of great distinction,” saying his performance as military secretary during wartime demonstrated “exceptional professional capability.”

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Why This Appointment Matters

The Mossad is regarded as one of the world’s most capable intelligence agencies, responsible for covert operations, foreign intelligence gathering, and strategic missions abroad. Unlike Shin Bet and Aman (military intelligence), the Mossad was not directly blamed for Israel’s failure to detect the October 7 Hamas attack, as its operational mandate traditionally focuses outside the Palestinian territories.

Since the attack, the Mossad has played a prominent role in Israel’s multi-front conflict:

• It assisted in the killings of several top commanders of Hezbollah in 2024.

• It contributed to major covert operations targeting Iranian military leadership during Israel's 12-day confrontation with Tehran in June.

With regional tensions still high, Gofman will take charge at a moment when Israel is deeply engaged across multiple intelligence theaters—from Lebanon and Syria to Iran and beyond.

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Looking Ahead

Gofman is expected to assume his new role as Barnea’s term nears completion. His leadership will be closely watched by Israel’s security establishment and international partners, especially given his unconventional background for a Mossad chief.

Security analysts say his insider status within Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet could signal a shift toward tighter political alignment between the intelligence community and the prime minister’s office.