“I am confident he will excel in this role and meet the challenges facing the State of Israel.”
By The IDF Club
Israel’s next Mossad chief will be Major General Roman Gofman, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu selected the decorated officer to succeed current director David Barnea when his term ends in June 2026. The decision follows a series of interviews with multiple candidates and will now be presented to the Advisory Committee for the Appointment of Senior Officials for approval.
On Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met with Gofman and offered his full support for the appointment. Zamir praised Gofman’s long service record and his operational and leadership experience across the IDF’s most demanding arenas.
“I welcome the decision to appoint Major General Roman Gofman as the next head of the Mossad,” Zamir said. “Roman and I have known each other for many years, from his many roles in the Armored Corps to the senior commands he has held in recent years. Roman is a brave, professional, and highly experienced officer. I am confident he will excel in this role and meet the challenges facing the State of Israel. The IDF, and I personally, will assist him throughout the transition so he can enter the position successfully.”
Gofman has held a wide range of combat and command positions, including commander of Battalion 75 in the 7th Armored Brigade, operations officer of the Ga’ash Formation, commander of the Etzion Brigade, commander of the 7th Brigade, commander of the Bashan Division, head of the National Land Training Center, and head of the Staff for Government Operations in the Territories. He currently serves as the Military Secretary to the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister’s Office highlighted Gofman’s extensive experience working with Israel’s intelligence community, particularly during the ongoing war, and described him as a uniquely qualified leader whose performance during the conflict demonstrated his readiness for the role.
In its statement, the PMO said Gofman has shown “creativity, initiative, deception capabilities, deep understanding of the enemy, complete discretion, and an exceptional ability to safeguard secrets.” The statement added that these qualities were evident from the opening moments of the war, when Gofman “raced from his home and fought physically against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza envelope, where he was seriously wounded.”
Netanyahu said he believes Gofman is “the most suitable and deserving candidate” to lead the Mossad, adding, “His success is our success.”
Gofman is expected to begin his tenure in June 2026, following a formal transition period with outgoing Mossad chief David Barnea.
