On Tuesday, April 15, 2026, an official petition was filed with Israel’s Supreme Court demanding the cancellation of Major General Roman Gofman’s appointment as director of the Mossad intelligence service. The basis for the challenge was a lack of trust in the candidate stemming from his past actions.
The petitioner, Ori Elmakaies, backed by the organization Telem – a movement for integrity in government – argues that Gofman, while serving as commander of the IDF’s 210th Regional Division (Bashan), signed off on using Elmakaies, then just 17 years old, in an Arabic-language psychological influence operation back in 2022. As the petition notes, Gofman “used him as a minor in a so-called influence operation.”
As a result of that activity, Elmakaies was detained by the Shin Bet security service, spent two months in solitary confinement, and was then indicted for espionage. He sat behind bars for 18 months before all charges were eventually dropped.
The filing argues that, in the petitioner’s view, such conduct disqualifies Gofman from running the agency. Telem offers additional points: first, that Gofman did not tell the truth to IDF investigators looking into the incident; and second, that he kept quiet throughout Elmakaies’ court proceedings.
Gofman’s appointment – he previously served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military secretary – was formally greenlit by the government on Sunday, after the Advisory Committee for Senior Appointments gave its consent.