Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday tapped his military secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next Mossad director.

The current chief of the spy agency, David Barnea, will end his five-year term in June 2026. According to Channel 12, Netanyahu’s selection of Gofman — a Mossad outsider — means that he passed over the two candidates suggested by Barnea.

The appointment was submitted to the Advisory Committee for Senior Appointments for review.

Gofman’s appointment is not expected to face much opposition, unlike the more controversial appointment of former IDF general David Zini to lead the Shin Bet domestic security agency, which faced weeks of court petitions and appeals. Zini was eventually sworn in to the post in October.

Born in Belarus, Gofman moved to Israel in 1990 at age 14 with his family. During his military career, he rose through the IDF Armored Corps, becoming a division commander before moving out of combat roles.

“Gofman is a highly distinguished officer,” said Netanyahu’s office in a statement. “His appointment as the prime minister’s military secretary in the midst of the war… proved that he possesses exceptional professional capabilities, from his rapid entry into the role to his immediate and significant involvement in the seven arenas of the war.”

The PMO said that Gofman “maintained continuous coordination with all intelligence and security agencies, especially the Mossad.”

Netanyahu’s office lauded Gofman’s “creativity, initiative, ingenuity, deep knowledge of the enemy, complete discretion, and strict confidentiality.”

“The prime minister believes that Maj. Gen. Gofman is the most........

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