Roman Gofman's Biggest Mistake Might Cost Him Mossad Chief Job 

A deepening controversy surrounds the appointment of Major General Roman Gofman as the next director of the Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, after fresh attention has been drawn to a disturbing episode in which a 16-year-old boy was recruited for covert military intelligence operations, allegedly abandoned by his handlers, subjected to harsh interrogation, and then prosecuted on serious espionage charges, before ultimately being fully exonerated.

The Teenage Recruit

The affair began when Ori Elmakayes, then a 16-year-old high school student, caught the attention of intelligence officers from Division 210, at the time under the command of Brigadier General Roman Gofman. Almakais had independently built Telegram channels and social media networks aggregating intelligence on developments across Arab states, and his work drew notice. According to subsequent investigations, Gofman initiated the formation of a unit for online influence operations, despite the division reportedly lacking any legal authority to conduct psychological warfare.

Elmakayes was recruited into the effort and began disseminating security-related information through his channel, "World of News," as part of an operation aimed at disrupting Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard activities. He also reportedly ran agents inside enemy states to collect sensitive intelligence, all without legal authorization, without formal approval, and at genuine risk to his own life.

Arrested, Interrogated, Abandoned

The turning point came in May 2022, when Shin Bet (Israel's internal security service) identified classified material being published online and traced it to Almakais. The teenager, who believed he had been acting in the service of national security, found himself arrested and interrogated for 44 days under extremely harsh conditions. Almakais later testified that he was subjected to physical and psychological abuse: sleep deprivation, complete isolation, and confinement in a small cell while shackled at his hands and feet.

Throughout his interrogations, Almakais consistently maintained that he had been activated and directed by military intelligence officers. Military and police officials initially rejected his account. Reports that emerged later alleged that figures within the army denied any connection to him and that Gofman himself initially lied and denied having operated the teenager. The state prosecution filed a serious indictment against Almakais on charges of "aggravated espionage," carrying a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Acquittal and Fallout

After approximately a year and a half under restrictive house arrest, Elmakayes' attorneys succeeded in establishing that he had in fact acted on the military's behalf. The prosecution withdrew the charges and Almakais was fully cleared, but the damage was done. He has since spoken out forcefully against Gofman: "He used me and destroyed my life. His appointment is a danger to the state."

The Appointment Under Fire

The case resurfaced with new urgency when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in December 2025 that Gofman would be appointed Mossad director. Israel's Attorney General responded by ruling that Gofman's involvement in the affair "casts a serious shadow over his personal integrity" - a significant legal obstacle to the appointment. The current Mossad director, Dedi Barnea, separately submitted a classified letter expressing strong opposition to Gofman's nomination, arguing that integrity failures of this kind should disqualify a candidate from such a sensitive promotion.

Other senior figures have pushed back, characterizing Gofman's role in the affair as marginal and the mistakes involved as minor.

The fate of the appointment remains unresolved.