Israeli High Court clears way for Roman Gofman to become Mossad chief

The 50-year-old Gofman was born in Belarus and moved to Israel with his family when he was 14.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israel’s High Court of Justice on Monday rejected petitions seeking to annul the appointment of Major General Roman Gofman as head of the Mossad, Israel’s national intelligence agency, ruling by a two-to-one majority that the decision to appoint him was legally reasonable.

The ruling paves the way for Gofman to take up the position of Mossad chief on Tuesday.

Justices Ofer Grosskopf and Alex Stein dismissed the petitions, while Justice Daphne Barak-Erez issued a dissenting opinion calling for further review before the appointment proceeds.

The petitions against Gofman’s appointment argued that he was not fit for the role due to concerns over his handling of a 2022 incident during his command of the IDF’s 210th Division, which involved allegations of poor oversight and unclear responsibility in an intelligence-related affair involving a minor.

Petitioners claimed these issues raised doubts about his ethical judgment and command responsibility, and that the advisory committee had approved his candidacy without fully resolving key factual questions or hearing all relevant witnesses.

They further argued that the appointment was “unreasonable” under administrative law because of these unresolved concerns.

The High Court ultimately rejected these arguments, finding that while there had been some professional shortcomings, they did not amount to a moral or ethical defect serious enough to disqualify him from serving as Mossad chief.

The 50-year-old Gofman was born in Belarus and moved to Israel with his family when he was 14.

He enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces’ Armored Corps and quickly climbed the ranks. During the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, Gofman drove from his home in Ashdod towards Sderot.

On the way, he joined other security personnel at the nearby Shaar HaNegev Junction, where he personally killed two terrorists before being injured.

In 2024, he was appointed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military secretary.

Following the ruling, outgoing Mossad chief David Barnea sent a message to agency personnel urging full cooperation with his successor.

“I expect all of you to stand by Major General Gofman’s right hand,” Barnea wrote, adding that, “Gofman’s success is the success of the Mossad and the success of the entire State of Israel.”