{"id":62402,"date":"2026-05-08T12:48:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T12:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/62402\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T12:48:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T12:48:14","slug":"netanyahu-defending-mossad-pick-tells-court-security-responsibility-his-alone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/62402\/","title":{"rendered":"Netanyahu, defending Mossad pick, tells Court security responsibility his alone"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday submitted his response to a petition<\/a> at the High Court of Justice against the appointment of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next director of the Mossad intelligence agency.<\/p>\n

The premier argued that Gofman\u2019s appointment was a security decision and therefore should be generally exempt from judicial oversight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is actually good reason to assume that the rationality for the prime minister\u2019s decision is ten times better than the \u2018rationality\u2019 of anyone else, including the honorable court,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe responsibility for the security of the state and its citizens lies with the prime minister, and him alone,\u201d Netanyahu asserted.<\/p>\n

The petition against Gofman, who has been serving as Netanyahu\u2019s military secretary, was filed by Ori Elmakayes, together with the \u201cTelem \u2014 Movement for Integrity in Government\u201d group.<\/p>\n

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It focused on Gofman\u2019s authorization in 2022, while commanding the Israel Defense Forces\u2019s 210th \u201cBashan\u201d Regional Division in the Golan Heights, to use Elmakayes, then 17, in an Arabic-language influence campaign.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tThe High Court holds a hearing at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, May 3, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/p>\n

As a result of Gofman\u2019s actions, Elmakayes was detained and interrogated by the Shin Bet domestic security agency, held in isolation for two months, charged with espionage offenses, and held in detention for 18 months before the charges were dropped.<\/p>\n

Telem stated that the petition cited this affair, as well as what it said was Gofman\u2019s failure to tell the truth to IDF investigators who probed the incident.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Telem noted that Gofman \u201cremained silent\u201d during the legal proceedings against Elmakayes, and cited \u201chis failure to take responsibility for the affair and the abuse of a minor who had committed no offense, and his untrustworthiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

PM: Grunis \u2018exceeded authority\u2019 in opposing nomination<\/p>\n

The petition also underlined the opposition of the chair of the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, retired Supreme Court president Asher Grunis, to Gofman\u2019s appointment.<\/p>\n

In their joint decision, the three junior members of the committee approved Gofman\u2019s appointment and said that the incident should not keep Gofman from serving as head of the Mossad, while Grunis, in a separate opinion, recommended that Gofman be disqualified.<\/p>\n

In his response Friday, Netanyahu said Grunis had \u201cexceeded his authority\u201d by recommending Gofman\u2019s disqualification.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tFormer president of the Supreme Court Asher Grunis attends the swearing-in ceremony of Justice Isaac Amit as president of the Supreme Court, at the President\u2019s Residence in Jerusalem, February 13, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/p>\n

According to the premier, \u201cthe role of the committee is not to \u2018recommend\u2019 or \u2018not recommend\u2019 so-and-so\u2019s appointment, but merely to reach conclusions about that candidate\u2019s character.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those conclusions \u201care not the end of the story, but rather one data point, out of many, related to the question of his appointment,\u201d Netanyahu continued, saying it was ultimately the prime minister\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

Gofman is set to replace outgoing Mossad chief David Barnea, whose five-year term will end in June.<\/p>\n

The nomination has drawn criticism from current and former security officials, who have told Hebrew media that Gofman lacks the operational and intelligence background traditionally required to lead the security agency.<\/p>\n

The fight over his nomination comes after a separate legal battle that ensued when Netanyahu\u2019s government fired Ronen Bar as head of the Shin Bet, and then replaced him with David Zini, another controversial pick. The High Court rejected petitions against Zini\u2019s appointment.<\/p>\n

PM\u2019s stance implies responsibility for Oct. 7, group argues<\/p>\n

After Netanyahu submitted his response on Friday, the October Council \u2014 a forum composed of bereaved families demanding a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack \u2014 said the premier had, unwittingly, taken responsibility for the failures that led to the massacre.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tBereaved families and members of the October Council protest near the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, April 19, 2026 (Chaim Goldberg\/Flash90)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe prime minister of Israel effectively declared today that the responsibility for the October 7 massacre lies with him, and him alone,\u201d the October Council declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, for the first time, the prime minister is taking responsibility for 2,100 murdered people, 251 kidnapped people, and tens of thousands who were displaced from their homes,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n

The premier has rejected calls to establish a state commission of inquiry, despite majority-support among the public, because its members would be selected by the judiciary, which he claims is biased against him.<\/p>\n

Instead, he has proposed a politically appointed inquiry into the massacre, which his opponents have vowed to boycott.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu has never acknowledged direct responsibility for the failures surrounding October 7 and has instead attempted to place the blame on others, especially the security establishment.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.<\/p>\n


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