Day: May 26, 2026

#RomanGofman  #Mossad  #CIA
Senior committee re-approves Gofman’s appointment as next Mossad chief | The Times of Israel  timesofisrael.com/senior-com…
3 members support general taking up role, but panel chair opposes; Netanyahu says Gofman was subjected to ‘unjust ordeal’, urges High Court to reject any petitions against him
The Senior Appointments Advisory Committee on Tuesday re-approved the appointment of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next head of the Mossad, after it interviewed two key figures at the heart of a controversial affair Gofman was involved in during his service as commander of the IDF’s 210th Division in 2022.

Three of the committee members were of the opinion that Gofman’s appointment should go ahead, while committee chair, retired Supreme Court president Asher Grunis, dissented, saying that the incident in question needed further clarification.

The renewed deliberations by the advisory committee were held at the request of the High Court of Justice following a hearing on petitions against Gofman’s appointment, which argued that he had lied about the affair, which constituted a violation of the ethical code of conduct for senior officials.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 26, 2026

#RomanGofman  #Mossad  #CIA
AI News Review: Roman Gofman’s Mossad appointment re-approved.
share.google/aimode/DHrLt0Xh…
The Senior Appointments Advisory Committee re-approved the appointment of IDF Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next chief of the Mossad. This decision clears the way for him to succeed the outgoing director, David Barnea, whose term ends on June 2, 2026. [1, 2]
The appointment process has sparked significant legal and political friction across Israel’s defense establishment. [3, 4, 5]
Summary of the Appointment

Nomination: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially tapped Gofman—his current military secretary—in April 2026 to lead the elite intelligence agency.
The Profile: Gofman, 49, is an experienced military general and an Armored Corps veteran who was seriously wounded in combat on October 7, 2023. He breaks tradition as an outside military officer appointed to lead the Mossad rather than a career spy.
The Paradigm Shift: His transition to power alongside other recently replaced defense heads signals Netanyahu’s intent to reshape the upper echelons of Israel’s intelligence and defense community following the October 7 failures. [2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8]

The Elmakayes Controversy
Gofman’s appointment faced legal challenges due to the “Ori Elmakayes affair”, stemming from his time commanding the IDF’s 210th Bashan Division between 2020 and 2022: [9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

The Operation: Gofman’s division authorized a 17-year-old minor, Ori Elmakayes, to run an online intelligence influence operation via a Telegram channel.
The Fallout: Unaware of the IDF’s involvement, the Shin Bet internal security agency arrested Elmakayes. He was held in isolation and indicted for severe espionage offenses.
The Accusation: Elmakayes spent 18 months jailed before charges collapsed. Petitions filed by watchdog groups and Elmakayes allege Gofman abandoned the teenager, failed to notify law enforcement of the military tie, and lied to an initial 2022 IDF investigation team. [2, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18]

High Court Intervention and Re-Approval [14]
The controversy triggered an aggressive legal battle regarding whether the High Court of Justice or the Prime Minister holds ultimate sway over sensitive security nominations. [12, 19]

The Opposition: Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara stated the appointment “suffers from extreme and glaring unreasonableness” and should be annulled. Outgoing Mossad chief David Barnea also testified against Gofman, submitting a confidential letter opposing the pick.
The Judicial Orders: The High Court initially labeled the vetting committee’s approval “lacking” because members hadn’t reviewed critical real-time documents. The court ordered the advisory panel to reconvene and assess top-secret military affidavits and text correspondence.
The Final Verdict: The Senior Appointments Advisory Committee reviewed the classified material and voted by a majority that there was “no flaw in the integrity of Major General Gofman”. While committee chairman Asher Grunis dissented in a minority opinion, Netanyahu formally rejected the dissent and called on the High Court to dismiss the remaining petitions so Gofman can assume office without delay. [1, 2, 9, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23]

[1]  i24news.tv
[2]  timesofisrael.com
[3]  jpost.com
[4]  youtube.com
[5]  youtube.com
[6]  youtube.com
[7]  timesofisrael.com
[8]  youtube.com
[9]  jpost.com
[10]  israelhayom.com
[11]  israelnationalnews.com
[12]  i24news.tv
[13]  akronjewishnews.com
[14]  timesofisrael.com
[15]  jpost.com
[16]  timesofisrael.com
[17]  jpost.com
[18]  timesofisrael.com
[19]  jpost.com
[20]  timesofisrael.com
[21]  jpost.com
[22]  jns.org
[23]  x.com

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 26, 2026

#FBI  #AI  #News  #Today
AI-Generated Lures: It leverages AI-generated phishing templates to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) protocols without needing user credentials. [1]
share.google/aimode/YF5Q7cvA…
AI Mode
The FBI and Secret Service are actively responding to a security incident involving multiple gunshots fired near the White House security checkpoint, while FBI Chief Kash Patel faces intense congressional scrutiny over a newly unsealed investigation. [1, 2, 3]
The latest critical developments from the FBI include major security responses, cybersecurity warnings, and high-profile criminal investigations. [4]
White House Shooting Incident

Shots Fired: Over the weekend, a suspect opened fire near a White House security checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
Suspect Deceased: Secret Service officials confirmed that the suspect is dead following the exchange.
FBI Response: FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that Bureau agents immediately mobilized on the scene to lead the joint investigation alongside local law enforcement. [1, 2, 5]

Cybersecurity Warning

Kali365 Threat: The FBI issued an Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) public service announcement regarding a malicious platform called Kali365.
Bypassing MFA: The Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) platform allows lower-skilled hackers to harvest Microsoft 365 access tokens.
AI-Generated Lures: It leverages AI-generated phishing templates to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) protocols without needing user credentials. [6]

Congressional & Legal Investigations

Epstein Files Grilling: In a tense congressional hearing, Representative Thomas Massie questioned FBI Chief Kash Patel regarding FD-302 documents. The files reportedly name 20 prominent individuals allegedly linked to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. Patel stated the Bureau is reviewing the files but no new indictments have been handed down.
Islamic Center of San Diego Shooting: The FBI San Diego Field Office released updated statements regarding the investigation into the May 18 shooting at the Islamic Center. Officials are verifying the photos of the alleged subjects. [3, 7, 8]

Major Field Takedowns

Operation Iron Pursuit: The FBI announced the culmination of a massive multi-agency operation that successfully rescued over 200 child victims and resulted in more than 350 arrests of child exploitation predators.
Feeding Our Future Sentencing: Ringleader Aimee Bock was sentenced to 500 months in prison for her role in orchestrating a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited federal child nutrition funding. [9, 10]

Are you tracking a specific case or interested in news from a particular FBI field office? Let me know, and I can pull the exact case updates for you.

[1]  youtube.com
[2]  politico.com
[3]  youtube.com
[4]  oacta.memberclicks.net
[5]  youtube.com
[6]  x.com
[7]  fbi.gov
[8]  fbi.gov
[9]  fbi.gov
[10]  justice.gov

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 26, 2026