From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Senior committee re-approves Gofman’s appointment as next Mossad chief
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter
The Senior Appointments Advisory Committee has re-approved the appointment of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next head of the Mossad, after it interviewed two key figures at the heart of a controversial affair Gofman was involved in during his service as commander of the IDF’s 210th Division in 2022.
Three of the committee members were of the opinion that Gofman’s appointment should go ahead, while committee chair retired Supreme Court president Asher Grunis again dissented, saying that the incident in question needed further clarification.
The renewed deliberations by the advisory committee were held at the request of the High Court of Justice following a hearing on petitions against Gofman’s appointment, which argued that he had lied about the affair, which constituted a violation of the ethical code of conduct for senior officials.
“The Prime Minister categorically rejects the minority opinion that the issue should be further examined, and says that General Gofman was subjected to an unjust ordeal, while the entire affair ultimately produced nothing at all,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) says in response to the committee’s decision.
The PMO adds that Netanyahu is calling on the High Court to now reject the petitions against Gofman’s decision and enable him to take up his position without delay.
It would appear unlikely for the court to intervene further on the matter, since the committee has fulfilled the court’s request to gain a fuller picture of the affair and upheld its original decision to approve the appointment.
In 2022, the IDF’s 210th Division, commanded by Gofman, authorized Ori Elmakayes to publish intelligence information on his Telegram channel in an online influence operation. Elmakayes, who was 17 at the time and therefore a minor, was subsequently arrested and indicted for espionage when the Shin Bet became aware of the information he was publishing, without being aware that he was working with the IDF.
Elmakayes was only exonerated 18 months later, during which time Gofman did not inform the Shin Bet or the prosecution services that Elmakayes had been cooperating with the IDF. Gofman was investigated by the IDF over the influence operation in May 2022 and given a disciplinary note in his record over the incident.
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