The Supreme Court is set to hear petitions Tuesday morning against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his decision to appoint his military secretary, Roman Gofman, as the next head of the Mossad.
The hearing comes amid an escalating clash between Netanyahu and Israel’s legal and security establishments, centered on the issue of Uri Elmakias - a case involving a teenager allegedly used in unauthorized intelligence operations while under Gofman’s command.
According to reports by Kan News, Netanyahu is expected to present the justices with a legal opinion prepared by former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who reviewed Gofman’s conduct in the case.
The opinion reportedly found no grounds for criminal proceedings against Gofman, concluding that disciplinary measures - which ultimately amounted to a formal reprimand - were sufficient.
Netanyahu’s legal team is expected to argue that the Supreme Court lacks authority to intervene in the prime minister’s discretion regarding appointments of intelligence chiefs who report directly to him.
In contrast, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara submitted a strongly worded response to the court, asserting that the appointment cannot legally stand. She argued that the unauthorized use of a minor in dangerous intelligence activity “casts a heavy shadow over Gofman’s integrity."
Baharav-Miara also criticized the appointments committee process, claiming that most committee members were not exposed to the classified materials related to the affair. She further noted that the committee’s chairman, former Supreme Court President Asher Grunis, opposed the appointment in a minority opinion.