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Israel's intelligence agency Mossad Director Roman Gofman has dismissed the agency's deputy director, identified by Israeli media only as A., as part of a leadership reshuffle following his appointment.
The Israeli media reported that A. had led the Mossad's billion-shekel Iran regime-change project and was considered the preferred successor of former Mossad chief David Barnea.
The dismissal signals that Gofman, an "outsider" to the Mossad who previously served as Netanyahu's military secretary, is moving to stamp his authority on the agency by removing figures aligned with his predecessor, with Israeli analysts warning that others associated with Barnea are likely to follow.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on behalf of Mossad that Gofman informed A. on Friday of his decision to conclude his tenure.
The statement said Gofman "expressed deep appreciation to A. for 22 years of operational service in the Mossad and for his significant contribution to the security of the State of Israel," noting he had commanded two operational divisions and led "a series of groundbreaking operations," for which he was awarded five Israel Security Prizes.
Israeli journalist Barak David reported on X, citing sources with detailed knowledge of the matter, that A. had received a budget of one billion shekels and a team of hundreds of people a year ago for a project to topple the Iranian regime.
"The results, as everyone already knows, were nothing to write home about, to put it mildly," the source said.
A. headed the Mossad's influence division and planned operational moves to destabilize the Iranian government, according to Israeli media outlet KAN.
He was appointed deputy director only a few months ago despite being considered relatively young for the role, reportedly on the assumption that he could serve as Mossad chief if other arrangements did not work out.
David reported that A. had been nicknamed internally within the Mossad "the Bibi-ist", in part because the television in his office was tuned to Channel 14, a pro-Netanyahu broadcaster.
He was considered right-wing in his views and very close to Barnea, who had reportedly designated A. as his preferred successor under the assumption that Netanyahu would approve.
Netanyahu instead appointed Gofman, who had served as his military secretary. Barnea opposed the appointment and favored A., according to Ynet.
David's source said Gofman decided to oust A. "and thereby end the saga."
The Prime Minister's Office statement said the move was "part of the head of the Mossad's assumption of office, as he seeks to shape the senior leadership team that will accompany him in realizing the goals and addressing the challenges facing the organization in the coming years."
It was reported that A.'s departure is part of a broader expected exodus of figures aligned with Barnea, noting that D., head of the Tevel division, had also left, and that additional senior officials were expected to follow.
Analysts cited by KAN assessed that "everyone identified with Barnea will be moved aside, either out of the organization or into roles not at the core of its activity."
The Israeli media outlet noted that while leadership reshuffles typically accompany a new Mossad chief's appointment, Gofman's case is distinct because he arrived as an outsider.
"In the army, they call this a command or leadership act. In the Mossad, things usually look a little different," KAN reported.
No replacement for A. has been announced yet.
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