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Despite criticism surrounding his appointment, Roman Gofman has formally taken over as head of Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad.<\/p>\n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated Gofman for the post. Appeals were lodged with the Supreme Court, but the judges rejected them on Monday.<\/p>\n
Gofman was subsequently sworn in at an official ceremony. He succeeds David Barnea, who Israeli media reported had also opposed the appointment.<\/p>\n
The legal challenge centred on an incident in 2022, when Gofman commanded a division of the Israeli military. According to court documents, an officer provided a soldier with sensitive security-related information that was later published on a Telegram channel, with Gofman’s knowledge and consent.<\/p>\n
The soldier, who was 17 at the time, was eventually charged with publishing the sensitive information. He spent a year and a half in custody and under house arrest.<\/p>\n
The judges acknowledged Gofman\u2019s mistakes in the case, but saw no breaches of ethical standards of conduct that would disqualify him from serving as Mossad chief.<\/p>\n
There is also discontent because Gofman \u2013 unlike his predecessors \u2013 does not come from within the ranks of the Mossad itself, but from the military and Netanyahu\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
Gofman, who was born in Belarus, served as a senior military adviser to Netanyahu. Critics accuse him of being appointed Mossad chief not because of his experience, but due to his loyalty to the prime minister.<\/p>\n
Speaking at Tuesday’s appointment ceremony, Netanyahu said Gofman’s mission would be to lead the Mossad’s fight against “Iran’s aggression.”<\/p>\n
Officially known as the Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, the Mossad is widely regarded as one of the world’s most effective intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n
The service has been credited with a number of spectacular operations, although its methods have often drawn international criticism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n