Mossad chief said sparring with aides over his support for plan backed by PM to strike Iran before election

The Haaretz daily reports that tensions have emerged in the Mossad between its director Roman Gofman and senior officials in the intelligence agency, with the former backing plans pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike Iran before the Tuesday election and the latter group opposing such an operation.

Gofman previously served as Netanyahu’s military secretary before the premier appointed him Mossad chief.

Citing unnamed senior sources, Haaretz says that the senior Mossad officials have pushed back on plans to strike Iran now, raising concerns about the timing of such a strike and its possible impact on tomorrow’s election.

The senior Mossad officials questioned Netanyahu’s judgement and expressed concern that political considerations were being conflated with security ones, Haaretz reports.

Responding to the report, the Mossad says in a statement that it does not comment on “operational activities falling under its purview, nor on discussions held behind closed doors.”

“Within the organization’s leadership, there is an ongoing, open and in-depth professional dialogue — a standard practice in a professional and responsible intelligence agency — where diverse viewpoints are voiced. This discourse is a source of organizational strength, not a sign of tension. The Mossad is a state institution that acts solely based on the security of the State of Israel and its citizens. It is appropriate to keep the organization and its personnel out of the political arena and to refrain from attempts to attribute political motives to its activities or positions,” the statement adds.

Netanyahu has already reportedly faced pushback from IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over the former’s desire to strike Iran before the Tuesday election.