Story perspectives

Attorney General Moves to Void Mossad Chief Appointment

5/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara petitioned the Court to void Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointment of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as Mossad chief, labeling it unreasonable.
The petition cites the 2022 Ori Elmakayes affair where Gofman’s Division 210 allegedly leaked classified material for an unauthorized influence operation.
The Appointments Committee and ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich approved Gofman despite Chairman Asher Grunis’s dissent, condemned the filing, and vowed to curb attorney general.

History

Historical Context

In 1972, Prime Minister Golda Meir appointed Zvi Zamir as Mossad director after the Munich Olympics massacre, reshaping Israel’s intelligence leadership. The attack killed 11 Israeli athletes, prompting a $30 million budget boost for Mossad that year, approved by the Knesset. Today, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara challenges Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointment of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, echoing past disputes over intelligence leadership legitimacy. Such confrontations risk eroding civilian oversight, potentially weakening Israel’s strategic coordination and prompting future legislative reforms to safeguard intelligence appointments.

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Story summary

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara petitioned the Court to void Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointment of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as Mossad chief, labeling it unreasonable.
The petition cites the 2022 Ori Elmakayes affair where Gofman’s Division 210 allegedly leaked classified material for an unauthorized influence operation.
The Appointments Committee and ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich approved Gofman despite Chairman Asher Grunis’s dissent, condemned the filing, and vowed to curb attorney general.

1 / 2