Netanyahu chose his new commander… made Mossad Chief without any experience, had played this role in Gaza war

Mosaad New Chief Roman Hoffman: Israel’s famous intelligence agency Mossad has got a new chief. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed his Military Secretary Major General Roman Goffman as the next chief of the Mossad. This appointment is special because the Mossad is primarily responsible for covert espionage operations abroad, but Goffman has no direct experience in intelligence or spy operations.

There is a lot of discussion in the Israeli media about Gofman’s appointment. According to reports, Netanyahu ignored two agency insider candidates for Mossad chief, who were suggested by current chief Barnia. Goffman will replace current Mossad chief David Barnia, whose five-year term ends in June 2026.

Reward for loyalty from Netanyahu

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement saying that Goffman is a very capable officer. His performance as Military Secretary to the Prime Minister during the difficult times of war proved his professional ability. Goffman is considered to have right-wing religious Jewish views. He attended Alei Yeshiva, a religious school in the West Bank, although he does not follow the tradition of wearing a yarmulke like religious Jews. Despite this, some people have criticized his appointment.

Roman Goffman was born in 1976 in Belarus. He came to Israel at the age of 14 and later joined the army in 1995. His military career has been quite long. On October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a major attack on Israel, Goffman was stationed in the southern Israeli city of Sderot. During this time, he was seriously injured in the clash with Hamas. Later, in April 2024, he was inducted into the Cabinet of the Prime Minister’s Office.

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Such appointment happened earlier also

Talking about political background, Netanyahu has given responsibility in intelligence agencies to outsiders before also. He also chose an outsider, David Zinni, for the domestic security agency Shin Bet. Although there was considerable controversy over the appointment of Shin Bet chief, there was no similar political uproar regarding Goffman.