Israel approves Roman Gofman as next Mossad chief, Reuters reports

Israel approved Roman Gofman to become the next chief of the Mossad, handing one of the country’s most secretive agencies to a military officer with no prior intelligence background. The move sets up a leadership handoff that will take effect when David Barnea’s five-year term ends in June 2026, with Gofman expected to assume the post on June 2.

Benjamin Netanyahu first said in December 2025 that he intended to nominate Gofman, and the decision was formally signed after the Advisory Committee for the Appointment of Senior Officials gave its approval. Gofman currently serves as Netanyahu’s military secretary, putting him close to the prime minister’s security decision-making at a moment when Israel is still operating under the shadow of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led infiltration and the wider regional fallout that followed.

The choice points to continuity at the top of the security establishment, but it also carries clear signs of change. Mossad chiefs are usually drawn from the intelligence world, yet several reports described Gofman as an army officer with no prior intelligence background. That distinction matters at an agency whose work reaches from covert operations and foreign partnerships to cyber threats and the tracking of militant networks and arms transfers. A chief who comes from the military rather than the clandestine service may tilt the balance of priorities inside an institution that often works beyond public view.

The approval was not without controversy. Several reports said the committee was chaired by former Supreme Court President Asher Grunis, who opposed the nomination and remained in the minority. Other reports said the process had been delayed for months because of prior controversies involving Gofman before the committee cleared the way for Netanyahu’s formal sign-off. The government said the decision followed interviews with several candidates before Netanyahu settled on his military secretary.

Gofman’s wartime record has become part of the case for his elevation. Reports described him as rushing to Israel’s southern border during the Oct. 7 attack to help rescue communities under fire, a detail that ties his appointment to the security trauma that has shaped Israeli politics and defense planning since then. He was also reported to have been born in Belarus in 1976 and to have immigrated to Israel at age 14, adding another layer to a choice that reflects both personal biography and strategic calculation.

For Netanyahu, the appointment reinforces his influence over Israel’s security architecture at a time of intense military and political pressure. For the Mossad, it signals a transition that is likely to preserve the agency’s central role while raising questions about how a commander from outside the intelligence ranks will shape its next phase.