Mossad, one of the most powerful and well-known spy agencies in the world, has a new head. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu selected his military secretary, Maj. Gen. Roman Goffman as the new head of the spy agency. Gen Goffman will replace David Barnea, whose term will end this June.
Mossad is one of the most powerful and well-known, ranked second in size to America’s CIA.
According to Israeli media, the race for the top post in Mossad had garnered attention after Netanyahu took an active interest in it. The close race was between Goffman and an internal candidate, known as A, who is a unit commander within the Mossad.
Sources told Israeli local media that Netanyahu vigorously pushed for the appointment of 'A' as deputy head of the Mossad for a short period. This promotion carried significance as the official identified as 'A' had not previously served as deputy head of the Mossad or as head of administration. This is mandatory to allow him to run for the position of head of the Mossad upon Barnea's retirement. This was not considered professional as it was intended to allow the prime minister to "take control" of the institution through a personal appointment.
However, Netanyahu picked Goffman, the popular choice, for the post. A career IDF officer, Goffman has held numerous operational and command roles, including fighter and commander in the Armored Corps, battalion commander in the 75th Battalion, 7th Brigade, officer in the ‘Gaash’ formation (36th Division), and commander of the ‘Habashen’ Division (210), among others.
Gen. Goffman is considered a controversial figure in Israel as he was commanding Division 210 in the Golan Heights when he authorised the use of a teenager for an influence operation. The teen was later detained by Israel for publishing classified information, but the charges were dropped when found that he was authorised by Mossad to do so.
As for the current outgoing chief, Barnea, he is the only one to hold his position since the October 7 attack. Barnea is also said to have led Israel’s efforts to recruit Iranian dissidents to attack the country from within, which was instrumental during the 12-day war.
It was during his tenure as the deputy head of the Mossad in 2020 that Israel carried out the stunning Operation 2020, which saw Israel target Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a physicist and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general who was in charge of the military aspects of Iran’s nuclear programme.