Outgoing Mossad Director David Barnea concluded his five-year term on Monday during a handover ceremony at the agency’s headquarters. He will be succeeded by Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman.
In his farewell address, Barnea referred directly to the campaign against Iran and argued that the current situation in the Middle East should be used as an opportunity to bring down the regime in Tehran.
Barnea stressed that “the Iranian regime is weaker, challenged, and more vulnerable than ever, and now is the time to exact a price from it." He added that changing reality in Iran through regime change is an achievable objective, describing the mission as “a duty to future generations that must remain at the top of our priorities."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his remarks, credited Barnea with direct responsibility for some of the key operations carried out during the recent war.
Netanyahu said the outgoing Mossad chief firmly pushed for approval of the operation to eliminate Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and advocated carrying out the pager explosion operation in Lebanon. According to Netanyahu, the severe blow dealt to Hezbollah’s leadership through these actions ultimately contributed to the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria.
Barnea, for his part, thanked Netanyahu for authorizing operations that enabled the Mossad to fully utilize its capabilities during the fighting. Alongside the military and intelligence campaign, he highlighted the organization’s involvement in efforts to secure the release of the hostages, describing their return as “a supreme moral and ethical obligation."
He added that the sense of fulfillment from seeing hostages return home surpasses any other operational achievement he has overseen.
President Isaac Herzog also addressed the ceremony, stating that under Barnea’s leadership, the Mossad built extensive intelligence partnerships and expanded its operational capabilities in Iran.
According to Herzog, these efforts helped restore Israel’s initiative following the October 7 massacre.
Concluding the event, Barnea addressed his successor, Roman Gofman, expressing confidence in the organization’s ability to continue carrying out operations deep inside enemy territory under his command.