New Mossad chief backs Gaza occupation and once 'used' a teenager in operation
Mossad has a new chief who was once shot and wounded by Hamas fighters, has called for the occupation of Gaza, and has been accused of “abandoning” a teenager he "used" in an intelligence operation.
Roman Gofman was approved on Sunday by Israel’s advisory committee on senior appointments and is set to begin his five-year term in June, replacing David Barnea.
An ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Gofman has been serving as his military secretary. His appointment, however, has not been without controversy.
Netanyahu welcomed the decision, describing Gofman as “outstanding, bold and creative”.
But the committee’s approval was not unanimous.
The committee’s chair and former Supreme Court president, Asher Grunis, opposed the appointment, citing concerns over Gofman’s past conduct in the army, though he was outvoted by three other members.
Gofman’s views on the genocide in Gaza have also been under the spotlight, as has a firefight with Palestinian fighters on 7 October in which he was seriously wounded.
Middle East Eye examines Gofman’s rise from the armoured corps to the head of Israel’s most prestigious intelligence agency, and the controversies that have followed him along the way.
Settlement education, Gaza occupation
Gofman, 49, was born in Belarus and immigrated with his family to Israel in 1990 at the age of 14.
Five years later, he enlisted in the army’s armoured corps, rising steadily through the ranks before being promoted to major general in 2024.
During his military career, he saw combat in southern Lebanon, as well as in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
As a young officer, Gofman attended Torah classes at the pre-military yeshiva Bnei David in the illegal settlement of Eli in the occupied West Bank. The institution is known for its right-wing views, including support for Jewish supremacy.
“It was there that I learned what ‘the eternity of Israel’ means,” Gofman said in a book titled More Jewish Than You.
During the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, Gofman, who lived in the southern city of Ashdod, was among officers engaged in firefights with Palestinian fighters.
Footage captured by surveillance cameras showed him exchanging fire before being hit and withdrawing from the scene.
He was wounded in the leg but later returned to service.
Reflecting on the attack, Gofman said even the strongest armies are “surprised” from time to time, adding that “one way to prevent this is through initiative”.
During the subsequent Israeli genocide in Gaza, he drafted a plan advocating the occupation of the entire Strip and recommending that Israel retain control after the war.
Shortly afterwards, Netanyahu appointed him as his military secretary in April 2024.
Gofman has previously criticised the army’s “avoidance of deploying ground forces”, saying: “We have a great deal to offer in the Gaza Strip, in Lebanon, and in Syria, wherever required.”
In February, he spoke at an event commemorating Orde Wingate, a British officer who served in Mandate Palestine, according to Israel Hayom.
Gofman praised Wingate, a Christian Zionist known for initiating brutal army tactics with Zionist forces against Palestinians.
“Decisive victory is the willingness and the capability to fundamentally change a situation,” Gofman said. “We used to believe there were those who could not be defeated, that it was beyond our power to fundamentally change reality. That is exactly what we have been doing over the past two years. Reality is changing.”
In 2019, during his higher education studies, Gofman suggested that Israel should sell nuclear warheads to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey as a way to counter Iran’s nuclear programme, according to Ynet.
Misconduct allegations
One of the main concerns surrounding Gofman’s appointment in Israel is his lack of intelligence experience, alongside allegations of misconduct during his military career.
According to Israel Hayom, between 2015 and 2017 - when Gofman served as a regional commander in the West Bank - he operated Palestinian informants without proper authorisation.
The report said he ordered the recruitment of informants near Beit Ummar, northwest of Hebron, without following due process. The directive was later overturned.
His most controversial case, however, involved the use of a 17-year-old Israeli in an intelligence operation in 2022, when he was commander of the 210th Bashan Regional Division in the Golan Heights.
Gofman is reported to have instructed military intelligence to provide teenager Ori Elmakayes with sensitive information to publish on social media as part of an influence campaign targeting Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.
'Someone who abandoned a 17-year-old boy will also abandon Mossad agents'
- Ori Elmakayes, Israeli used by Gofman in intelligence op
Elmakayes was later arrested by Israeli police for publishing classified material and was detained for a year and a half.
According to Haaretz, Gofman denied to army investigators that he was aware of the teenager’s involvement in the operation.
The charges against Elmakayes were eventually dropped after it emerged that he had been acting under military direction with Gofman’s approval.
Gofman has since denied ordering the release of classified material in the operation, maintaining that the information shared was not sensitive. He also said he was unaware of the teenager’s age.
Asher Grunis, who opposed the appointment, said: “The use of a minor Israeli civilian constitutes an extremely serious flaw and raises a moral-ethical concern. It amounts to a breach of integrity”.
Outgoing Mossad chief Barnea has also objected to the appointment, describing Gofman’s actions in the Elmakayes case as those of “someone who abuses their power”.
Elmakayes himself, who has been outspoken in his opposition, criticised the decision following Sunday’s approval.
“Roman Gofman used me illegally and immediately afterwards disowned me, abandoned me and did not put an end to the ongoing nightmare I went through,” he wrote on X.
“Someone who abandoned a 17-year-old boy will also abandon Mossad agents,” he added.
Netanyahu's loyalist
Gofman’s appointment by Netanyahu did not come as a surprise to many insiders, security sources previously told Walla.
According to those sources, Gofman has become a key figure within the prime minister’s inner circle during Israel’s wars and assaults in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and Syria over the past two years.
Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv reported that Netanyahu places full trust in Gofman, assigning him wide-ranging responsibilities. It added that Gofman, who speaks Russian, has made several undisclosed visits to Russia, as Netanyahu seeks to maintain close ties with President Vladimir Putin.
Ma’ariv also said Gofman played a central role in discussions between Israel and Syria in January.
"Gofman is Netanyahu’s loyalist, his military secretary. When Netanyahu decides on the appointment, he chooses to emphasise his loyalty and discretion. This carries significant political explosive potential," Amos Harel, military affairs commentator at Haaretz, told 103FM radio.
Other media outlets and former Israeli security officials have voiced similar concerns, arguing that Gofman’s appointment forms part of a broader effort to place loyalists within the security establishment, following Netanyahu’s appointment of Shin Bet chief David Zini.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to appoint his military secretary, Major General Roman Gofman, as head of the Mossad is a continuation of his politicisation and takeover of the intelligence community and the security establishment," Yossi Melman, a military affairs commentator, said in December.
Melman warned that if the Supreme Court approves the appointment, “Netanyahu will be able to tick off another stronghold he has captured”.
Former army chief and opposition MP Gadi Eisenkot said senior positions were being handed out as rewards for loyalty and alignment with the prime minister’s agenda.
Rami Eigra, a former senior Mossad official, described the appointment as “politically motivated”, warning it could lead to fewer operational successes and potential failures.
According to Haaretz, Elmakayes and several Israeli NGOs are expected to petition the Supreme Court to block the appointment.
Ma’ariv reported that some within Israel’s defence establishment believe the court may not approve the move, which could prompt Netanyahu to ask outgoing chief Barnea to extend his term by several weeks or months.
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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