‘An organization like Mossad must think big’
Earlier this month, Mossad Director Roman Gofman reportedly removed two of the intelligence agency’s key officials who were closely involved in developing an unsuccessful plan to topple the Iranian regime.According to Channel 12 News, the two officials were the head of the Mossad’s Intelligence Directorate, who had held the position only since December 2025, and the head of the agency’s Iran Division. Both have the option of remaining in Mossad in other roles.Maj. (res.) Alexander Grinberg, an Iran expert at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and a former member of the Israel Defense Forces Military Intelligence Research Department, told JNS that the controversy surrounding Gofman exposes a deeper structural weakness in Israeli intelligence.“I think this exposes the main problem of the Mossad, and Israeli intelligence in general,” said Grinberg. “Its strength lies in building the target bank and everything derived from it,” yet an understanding of the strategic…
Mossad Director Roman Gofman reportedly removed two senior officials, the head of the Intelligence Directorate and the head of the Iran Division, following an unsuccessful plan to destabilize the Iranian regime. This move has sparked debate among former Israeli intelligence officials.
- Maj. (res.) Alexander Grinberg suggested the controversy highlights a structural weakness in Israeli intelligence regarding strategic understanding of enemy states, stating, "I think this exposes the main problem of the Mossad, and Israeli intelligence in general."
- Yossi Amrusi, a former Shin Bet official, cautioned against viewing the dismissals as a judgment on the broader intelligence campaign against Iran, which he described as having achieved "extraordinary achievements."
- Amrusi emphasized that punishing bold but unsuccessful operations, not stemming from negligence, could deter future innovative thinking within Mossad, warning, "If every time an operation or an idea fails, you cut off the heads of those who dared propose and carry it out, you risk creating exactly the opposite of what an intelligence organization needs."
- He concluded that Mossad should continue to "think big" and explore ambitious objectives like regime change, even if initial attempts are unsuccessful.
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