Israel's Supreme Court Approves Roman Gofman as Mossad Chief

Israel's Supreme Court approved the appointment of Major General Roman Gofman as the next head of the Mossad intelligence agency, according to Hebrew-language media reports on Monday.

The court rejected two petitions that opposed the appointment of Major General Gofman in a majority decision by Judges Ofer Grosskopf and Alex Stein.

Judge Daphne Barak-Erez dissented, saying additional hearings were needed on issues she deemed unresolved.

According to Israeli media reports, the petition is related to allegations about Gofman's behavior in a case called Ori Elmakayes.

In the majority opinion, Grosskopf said the evidence before the court, including classified material, did not show an ethical violation that would disqualify Gofman from his post as Mossad chief.

"The available evidence suggests that the Elmakayes case did not tarnish the impressive career ethics of Major General Gofman," Grosskopf wrote, according to The Jerusalem Post, citing Anadolu (2/6).

The ruling came a day before Gofman's planned transition ceremony.

Gofman is expected to take office on Tuesday, replacing Mossad Director who will soon leave his post, David Barnea, who has led the Israeli foreign intelligence agency since 2021.

Previously, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated Gofman for the position despite objections from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Asher Grunis, who headed the committee responsible for reviewing the appointment of senior officials, according to Maariv.

Mossad is Israel's main foreign intelligence agency and plays a central role in intelligence gathering, covert operations, and national security policy.