High Court rejects petitions against Gofman's appointment as Mossad chief

Netael Bandel|
The High Court of Justice rejected by majority opinion two petitions against the appointment of Roman Gofman as head of the Mossad. Justice Ofer Grosskopf held that "Gofman's conduct in connection with the al-Maqayis affair is not such as to cast an ethical blemish on him, certainly not one that would disqualify him from serving as head of the Mossad. The claims that he knowingly used a minor were not substantiated by the evidence presented to the committee. The claim that he 'abandoned' operatives who acted on his behalf in the framework of the al-Maqayis affair is an incorrect claim." In contrast, Justice Daphna Barak-Erez, who held the minority opinion, believed that "the process of examining questions that remain open should continue and for this purpose, a conditional order and an interim order should be issued, without determining anything against Gofman."