Meet the new chief of the world’s ‘most dangerous’ spy agency, who is General Roman Gofman, the new head of Mossad?

Mossad New Chief: Israel is counted among the world’s most intelligence and mysterious agencies. Mossad Now a person is going to sit in the leadership of Mossad, who has no direct connection with the intelligence world. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to appoint Major General Roman Goffman as the next head of the Mossad – an announcement that has become a topic of discussion not only in Israel but also among global security analysts.

Goffman will replace current Mossad chief David Barnia, whose five-year term ends in June 2026. The special thing is that this appointment appears to challenge the internal structure of Mossad, because Goffman is not an officer who has come from within the agency, but his entire career has been associated with the army.

Who is Roman Goffman? Journey from army to spy agency

Major General Roman Gofman was born in 1976 in Belarus. At the age of just 14, he came to Israel with his family. In 1995, he joined the Armored Corps of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and served in the army for a long time.

Goffman was the commander of the National Infantry Training Center when the Gaza war erupted following a deadly terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. During this attack, he was also seriously injured in the conflict in Sderet city of southern Israel. After this incident he emerged in a major military strategic role during the war.

In April 2024, Goffman was appointed as Military Secretary to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In this role he became one of the government’s closest advisors on military matters, operational updates and war strategies. Now in 2026, he will take over the leadership of one of the most active foreign intelligence agencies in the world – Mossad.

Why was Goffman selected even though he had no intelligence experience?

According to Israeli media reports, David Barnia had suggested the names of two senior Mossad officers as his successor, but Netanyahu ignored both and chose Goffman. It is believed that with this appointment, Netanyahu wants to include his trusted military leadership in the intelligence structure.

However, there has been criticism on this also. Uri Mizgaov, a prominent writer for Haaretz newspaper, described Goffman’s appointment as “dangerous” and “inappropriate”, saying that a person with no intelligence experience is not qualified to lead the Mossad. Nevertheless, interestingly, Goffman’s appointment did not generate the same widespread political controversy as was seen after the appointment of the chief of the Shin Bet (Internal Security Agency).

Why is Mossad more important than ever?

Mossad is considered one of the most effective and aggressive intelligence agencies in the world. Notably, after the October 7 attacks, while the Shin Bet and the military intelligence agency AMAN resigned in recognition of their failures, the responsibility fell on the Mossad – as the Palestinian territories were not traditionally included in its scope of duties.

After the war, Mossad also demonstrated its capabilities. The Mossad played a decisive role in the operation to eliminate the high military command of the Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah in 2024, further strengthening the agency’s prestige and power among the Israeli public.

Challenges Ahead: War, Iran, and Global Terrorism

Goffman will take command of the Mossad at a time when Israel is engulfed in conflict on several fronts –

• Gaza war with Hamas
• Border tensions with Lebanon’s Hezbollah
• Intelligence war on Iran’s nuclear program
• Protection of global Jewish institutions and citizens

Experts believe that Goffman’s military vision + political proximity can give Mossad an aggressive and sharp strategic direction.