Appointing Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman as Mossad director poses a danger to Israel's security, Ori Elmakayes warned in a post on his X/Twitter account on Thursday.
"The appointment of Roman Gofman is something that must not pass," Elmakayes wrote. "He is a real danger to the security of the State of Israel."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the decision to appoint Gofman, currently serving as the pm's military secretary, to the head of the intelligence agency earlier on Thursday.
Elmakayes was detained by Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) when he was 17 after two intelligence officers under Gofman's command passed him classified information to publish on the Telegram pages he ran as part of an attempt to create an “influence operation” against the enemy that was not approved by authorized security bodies.
"Gofman abandoned me after initiating an operation in which I was used for various intelligence-gathering missions, activating agents in enemy countries (while endangering my life) and other influence operations against terrorist organizations," Elmakayes wrote, describing the events.
Gofman then "denied any connection, disavowed responsibility, and abandoned me," Elmakayes continued.
"As a result of his abandonment, I was falsely imprisoned, held captive, and underwent physical and mental torture, including intensive interrogations for over a year and a half, all as a 17-year-old who did no wrong and only acted for the benefit of Israel's security."
"After using me and destroying my life, Roman Gofman had no problem disavowing me despite knowing about the things I experienced, a person like that must not serve as head of the Mossad under any circumstances!" he affirmed.
"If he abandoned me, who will prevent him from abandoning Mossad personnel if they get entangled, God forbid, in various operations?" he added. "Gofman is unworthy to be head of the Mossad, not a commander and not an officer."
Elmakayes was held in isolation for approximately two months, and was later put on trial for espionage charges, eventually being released as the suspicion against him lessened.
Neither Gofman, who was commander of the IDF's 210th Division at the time, nor his subordinates faced any criminal investigation. The IDF reviewed the incident internally, issuing a reprimand.
Accuser's lawyer provides broader picture of incident
Elmakayes's lawyer, Orit Hayoun, spoke to Walla about the broader scope of the events.
"When Ori was a teenager, he ran a Telegram channel with thousands of followers," Hayoun explained. "The military wanted to use this channel in order to psychologically influence terror elements, to feed them false information and content that there was a security interest in conveying."
"Such handling, and certainly when it involves a minor, requires formal regulation, coverage, protection, and a clear definition. None of this was done," she said.
Elmakayes was exposed to "hostile factors" during his detention, she added.
"In May 2022, in the middle of the night, dozens of Shin Bet fighters burst into his [Elmakayes's] home," she said. "He was arrested on suspicion of harming state security, transferred to Shin Bet facilities, and interrogated about publications he had received direct instruction to publish."
Elmakayes "immediately" provided Shin Bet interrogators the names of his IDF handlers and stated that the instructions were on his phone, "but the military and Shin Bet chose to distance themselves from the event. Gofman and those who acted under him denied any connection. No one checked the phone, no one asked to receive the messages. A child under 18 was left to fight alone," she continued.
The phone was only presented to the defense after more than a year.
"There, the evidence was clearly discovered. He was handled, told exactly what to publish," she noted.
"He was completely acquitted, but the mental and personal damage had already been done. He came out traumatized, harmed, after going through torture and intensive interrogations," she affirmed.
Hayoun also criticized the decision to appoint Gofman as Mossad director.
"If someone who abandoned a teenager handled by the army is elected to lead the Mossad, this is a danger whose severity is hard to exaggerate," Hayoun warned.
"What was done to Ori was deep contempt for human life," she said. "If this is what a 17-year-old boy experienced when asked to help the state’s security, it poses a very difficult question regarding the moral and professional responsibility placed on someone who seeks to lead one of the most sensitive organizations in Israel."