In an interview with the Hebrew radio station “103fm,” Igra explained that “the Mossad is a complex and large organization that needs a professional leader with field and intelligence experience,” stressing that the person who assumes this position “needs a long time to fully understand their role.” He added:
“In these two years, we will all pay the price, as there will be far fewer operations and successes, and perhaps failures that we will learn about.”
The selection of Gofman – who serves as the military secretary to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – is controversial in Israel, as opponents believe that his appointment is driven by political considerations more than professional competence, given his lack of sufficient experience in managing an intelligence agency of this size. Some media reports have also linked this appointment to the indirect influence of Netanyahu’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, which has sparked widespread discussions.
Igra cited an example of the mistakes that occurred in the past when an unqualified person took office as head of the Mossad, referring to the assassination attempt on Khaled Meshaal, a leader in the “Hamas” movement, which caused a major political and security crisis at the time.
The former official pointed out that the agency includes “hundreds of highly qualified offensive elements,” criticizing their being bypassed in appointments:
“We are against the head of the organization seeing the leader’s interest before the interest of Israel… and this has happened repeatedly.”
In another context, Igra pointed out that the controversy raised by the government about the recruitment of Haredim may be a way “to divert attention from the most sensitive laws,” referring to what he described as the “law on evading conscription.”
These discussions come in light of a very complex political and security situation in Israel, amid regional tension and increasing intelligence challenges in various regions.
