Behind the scenes of outgoing Mossad Director David Barnea's warning against Roman Gofman's appointment, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara's opposition is based on a classified letter sent to her by Barnea, who still heads the agency.
Israel Hayom has learned that Barnea first presented his warnings about the appointment to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then to the committee. Only after the classified materials were not reviewed by the committee did Barnea also send a letter to the attorney general, who then issued her objection to the appointment.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara submitted her response Sunday to the petitions against the appointment of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as Mossad director, determining that the decision to appoint him was "tainted by extreme and glaring unreasonableness" and should therefore be overturned.
Her response revealed that, ahead of the filing of her position, the Attorney General's Office had received a "classified letter" from outgoing Mossad Director David Barnea, intended to be submitted for review by the High Court of Justice justices behind closed doors. In her view, the document is "substantive" and concerns the organization's unique character and the question of examining the integrity required of the person who heads the Mossad.
At the root of Barnea's warnings, which were conveyed to the committee confidentially, is Gofman's conduct in the affair involving the handling of the youth Uri Elmakayes, which raises concerns about his suitability for the post. The Mossad director is one of the most senior positions in the defense establishment and is subject to almost no external oversight. Therefore, a person leading the organization must demonstrate an unblemished ability to operate, sources familiar with the matter say.
