From the Liveblog of
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Netanyahu praises his chosen Mossad director for fighting on October 7
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
After announcing his choice of Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman to be the next Mossad director, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauds the officer’s “leadership, creativity, sophistication, and ingenuity on a global scale.”
Speaking at the start of the meeting to approve the government’s 2026 budget, Netanyahu stresses that Gofman worked closely with the Mossad intelligence agency throughout the ongoing war.
“He also has two very strong traits — initiative and willingness to engage,” Netanyahu says, noting that Gofman learned boxing as a youth after being harassed.
Gofman, he notes, was the most senior IDF officer wounded in combat during the October 7, 2023, attack. As a brigadier general, Gofman hurried from his home to engage with Hamas terrorists, organizing police volunteers in a firefight at Sha’ar Hanegev Junction just outside of Sderot.
“He was wounded there, recovered, and has been doing tremendous work for Israel’s security,” says Netanyahu. “I am confident that he will continue to do so even more strongly in his next role in the Mossad.”
The Times of Israel Community.