Israel’s Attorney General Calls to Cancel Netanyahu’s Mossad Chief Appointment

i24 News and Algemeiner Staff

Israeli Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara. Photo: Twitter

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara told the High Court of Justice on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to appoint Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman as the next Mossad chief must be canceled.

Baharav-Miara filed her position ahead of a Tuesday hearing on petitions challenging the appointment, telling the court that “substantial flaws” had been found both in the process conducted by the advisory committee and in the conclusions it drew. She said Netanyahu’s decision suffered from “extreme and blatant unreasonableness” and could not stand legally.

At the center of the dispute is the case of Ori Elmakayes, who was a 17-year-old minor when he was activated in 2022 by Division 210, without going through authorized intelligence channels. At the time, the division was commanded by Gofman. Elmakayes was arrested in May 2022 under espionage charges after two officers sent him classified information and told him to post it online as part of an “influence campaign,” despite not being authorized to do so. Gofman initiated this operation. Elmakayes was then held in full detention until July, spending an extended period under electronic monitoring and house arrest before the indictment against him was canceled in late 2023.

Baharav-Miara says Gofman’s involvement in leaking the classified information to the minor, “casts a heavy shadow on Gofman’s integrity and thus on his appointment to head the Mossad.” The attorney general also identified serious procedural failings in the advisory committee’s work. She notes that the majority members signed their opinion before committee chairman and former Supreme Court president Asher Grunis had written his dissent and before two members had reviewed several classified documents significant to the full picture. Grunis concluded that integrity flaws had been found and that it was not appropriate to appoint Gofman as Mossad chief.

The attorney general also says the committee failed to hear directly from Elmakayes or from a relevant senior military intelligence officer, instead relying in part on media interviews.

Netanyahu, who appointed Gofman to head the Mossad starting in early June, for a five-year term, submitted his own response to the court on this past Friday, arguing that the decision fell within his executive authority. The Prime Minister also said that his assessment of the matter was “dozens of times superior” to that of the court, adding that Gofman’s integrity was “found pure,” and describing him as the most qualified candidate.

Other coalition figures responded to the attorney general with sharp criticism, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Ben-Gvir accused Baharav-Miara of fighting the state, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said her position was “one step too far” and vowed to advance legislation splitting the attorney general’s role in the Knesset’s summer session.

Middle Israel: Jesus-statue smasher is product of Jewish fundamentalism – opinion

AMOTZ ASA-EL

Here, the Israeli soldier damages the head of a statue of Jesus, in Debel, Lebanon, in this still image obtained from social media released on April 19. /  (photo credit: SOCIAL MEDIA VIA REUTERS)

The photo that showed a soldier axing a Jesus statue in southern Lebanon was appalling enough – religiously and politically – but even more mind-boggling was the villain’s frivolous attitude: post it on social media, so the whole world would see.

The world indeed saw, and lost no time responding, with intercontinental rebuke. Fortunately, the IDF summarily court-martialed the culprit and his photographer, sending them to a military prison and removing them from future combat service. Unfortunately, what they did represents a syndrome much larger than the two young idiots they evidently are.

And that syndrome is the very one with which Israel’s worst enemies are plagued. It’s called fundamentalism, and its bearers share ignorance of the outer world, impatience with history’s course, and an inability to tolerate the existence of other faiths.

The fundamentalist scourge reared its head in 2001 

Taliban soldiers load ammunition in a vehicle, following exchanges of fire between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces, near Torkham border, in Afghanistan, February 27, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)

Lebanon’s Christians are on our side

IDF Unveils AI-Powered Robotic Warfare System, Breakthrough Artillery Against Hezbollah

Ailin Vilches Arguello

Smoke rises from a village in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army operates in it as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 23, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Gil Eliyahu

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has introduced cutting-edge battlefield technology while fighting Hezbollah over the past several weeks, deploying fleets of explosive robots and game-changing artillery to accelerate the destruction of the Iran-backed group’s terrorist infrastructure across southern Lebanon.

With the goal of minimizing risks to troops, the IDF plans to deploy robots on high-risk missions to detonate large, strategic infrastructure in areas previously beyond the reach of ground forces, marking a significant expansion in its use of autonomous battlefield systems. Some of this technology has already been in use but will only escalate.

According to Israeli officials, this newly introduced technology is designed to scan vast areas using intelligence data, locate Hezbollah infrastructure both above and below ground, and systematically dismantle networks built over decades within Shiite villages, forests, and dense terrain.

The IDF expects this sustained military engineering effort to drain Hezbollah’s extensive financial investments and push threats farther from Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

Given Lebanon’s rugged, mountainous terrain in the area, the natural landscape severely limits the movement of heavy engineering equipment, forcing troops to rely on complex field improvisations amid dense vegetation and terrain that conceals militant infrastructure.

The IDF has previously used robotic systems during the war in Gaza, providing ground forces with a strategic edge while reducing exposure to danger, including deploying them to explore Hamas tunnels and enhance the detection and tracking of armed operatives.

Robotic systems not only reduce the danger to troops but also help offset manpower shortages and enable operations in especially challenging environments, including tunnel networks, densely populated urban areas, and other locations that are difficult for ground forces to reach.

The IDF has further expanded its arsenal with the introduction of the “Ro’em” self-propelled howitzer battery developed by Elbit Systems, a platform that leverages advanced technology and artificial intelligence to deliver quicker and more accurate firepower.

Fully automatic, the self-propelled howitzer can fire between six and eight rounds per minute at ranges of up to 40 kilometers.

Hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel reignited on March 2, when the terrorist group opened fire in support of Iran two days after the start of the joint US-Israeli military campaign against the Iranian regime. Since then, Israeli troops have created a “buffer zone” that extends 5 to 10 km (3 to 6 miles) into Lebanon. According to Israeli officials the purpose of the zone is to protect northern Israel from attacks by Hezbollah, which has fired thousands of rockets and drones during the war.

The US mediated a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon last week. The deal was separate from Washington’s efforts to de-escalate tensions with Iran, though Tehran had pushed for Lebanon to be included in any broader framework for stopping hostilities.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the truce, which was due to expire on Sunday, to allow more time for negotiations and diplomatic efforts.

Even though the US-backed ceasefire has sharply reduced violence, negotiations and prospects for lasting peace remain fragile, with Israeli forces still positioned in southern Lebanon to maintain its buffer zone and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure.

For its part, Hezbollah, an internationally designated terrorist group that openly seeks Israel’s destruction, maintains it has “the right to resist” what it calls occupying forces, while rejecting any direct negotiations between the two countries.

Even with the truce in place, Israel has warned Lebanese citizens against returning to their homes at this stage, with officials saying that Hezbollah could seek to exploit the situation to reestablish its terrorist infrastructure under civilian cover.

The Lebanese government has now opened direct contacts with Israel despite strong objections from Hezbollah — which was established by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 1982.

With negotiations now underway toward a potential longer-term arrangement, Israel has said its position rests on two core demands: the full disarmament of the Iran-backed terrorist group and a “sustainable” security-based peace framework.

Lebanon has demanded an Israeli withdrawal from the south, the return of Lebanese detainees held in Israel, and the delineation of the land border.

Isaac Accords, Wave of IRGC Terror Designations Signal Deepening Israel–Latin America Ties

Ailin Vilches Arguello

Argentina’s President Javier Milei receives Presidential Medal of Honor from Israel’s President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, April 20, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

As Israel deepens its diplomatic outreach across Latin America, a quiet but notable convergence is taking shape, with regional governments tightening security cooperation and increasingly aligning efforts to counter Iranian-linked terrorism and illicit networks operating across the hemisphere.

During a state visit to Israel on Sunday, Argentine President Javier Milei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally signed the Isaac Accords, a new framework aimed at deepening ties between Israel and Latin American governments while jointly addressing antisemitism and terrorism.

According to Toby Dershowitz, senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington, DC–based think tank, this initiative builds on rising regional momentum for closer cooperation with the Jewish state and sets in place a framework for intelligence-sharing and coordinated law enforcement efforts aimed at countering Iranian proxy networks operating across the hemisphere.

Latin America has long been regarded as a hub for Iran-backed Hezbollah’s illicit drug trafficking and other criminal activities, which have been used to finance its broader terrorist operations worldwide.

“While just formally signed in recent days, there is already momentum behind some of the Isaac Accords’ goals,” Dershowitz told The Algemeiner. “Several countries have taken steps – including terrorism designations – to counter the Islamic Republic’s threat.” 

“The Western Hemisphere has been plagued by Iran-backed terrorism for decades and countries are increasingly leveraging support from allies in the region to address the threat,” she continued.

Modeled after the Abraham Accords — a series of historic, US-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries — this new initiative aims to strengthen political, economic, and cultural cooperation between the Jewish state and Latin American governments. 

During the signing ceremony, Milei described the launch of the accords as “a historic moment for our nations,” saying they are intended to advance peace through efforts to strengthen long-term regional stability, security, and economic prosperity.

The Isaac Accords “will not only strengthen the relationship between Argentina and Israel, united by shared values, but also mark a step toward a freer and more prosperous hemisphere,” the Argentine leader said.

According to a joint statement between the two leaders, the new initiative will focus on technology, security, and economic development, with an emphasis on deepening cooperation in innovation, commerce, and cultural exchange. 

It will also seek to encourage partner countries to relocate their embassies to Jerusalem, formally designate Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations, and shift longstanding voting patterns on Israel at the United Nations.

Dershowitz explained that the push to formally designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxy groups as terrorist organizations — an approach already adopted by several Latin American countries — is central to strengthening states’ ability to investigate and prosecute terrorism networks.

She also noted that such designations facilitate cooperation with global financial intelligence units, expanding the legal tools available to track and disrupt illicit financing.

“Iran has a concerning footprint in Latin America. Some countries in the region face major Hezbollah-linked drug trafficking challenges and, as a result, exposure to illicit financial flows,” Dershowitz said. “It is no doubt part of the calculus that led to these designations.”

Since the start of the war in Gaza, and even more so amid the broader confrontation with Iran, Latin American countries have increasingly sought to align their domestic legislation with international sanctions frameworks targeting Hezbollah, Hamas, and the IRGC — all of which are designated by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.

Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Paraguay are among some of the countries that have designated Hamas, Hezbollah, and the IRGC as terrorist organizations.

More recently, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago have also followed suit, proscribing all three Iranian and Iran-backed entities.

Once a formal designation is in place, authorities can immediately freeze a wide range of assets belonging to designated entities without the need for a prior criminal conviction. 

The designation also makes it a criminal offense to provide such entities with material support — such as funding, transportation, housing, or false documentation — while giving authorities additional tools to track and map a group’s logistical and financial networks.

Last month, Argentina also designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, after previously designating the Palestinian group Hamas in 2024 and the Lebanese group Hezbollah in 2019.

After Iran accused Buenos Aires of “siding with the aggressors” and violating international law with its latest designation, the Argentine government declared Iranian chargé d’affaires Mohsen Tehrani “persona non grata” and gave him 48 hours to leave the country.

Under the stars on Mount Herzl, Israel marks 78 years of independence

Tania Shalom Michaelian

The 78th anniversary Independence Day ceremony held at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, on April 21, 2026. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.

Nobody was entirely sure the ceremony would take place.

Organizers had quietly filmed a full dress rehearsal days earlier in case renewed fighting with Iran made a live public event impossible. A fragile ceasefire with Iran and Lebanon was holding—barely.

Last year’s ceremony was canceled due to wildfires in the Jerusalem hills. This year, thousands arrived from across the country, determined not to miss the event.

What followed was one of the most emotionally charged Independence Day ceremonies in recent memory—a sweeping, two-hour program centered on the theme “Strengths of Renewal,” moving between grief and defiance, prayer and celebration, loss and victory.

‘This is what victory looks like’

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana opened the formal proceedings by framing the evening’s emotional stakes. Drawing on language from the Book of Esther—“and it was reversed”—he cited developments from the past year as signs of national resilience.

“When in the past year, in the midst of war, 20,000 Jews chose to make aliyah—that is what victory looks like. When in the past year 177,000 babies were born in Israel—that is what victory looks like,” Ohana said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who attended with his wife, Sara, delivered remarks via pre-recorded video, citing security concerns, saying Israel had “risen like a lion and fought like one” and had “struck hard at the regime of terror in Iran.”

Netanyahu said Israel is “stronger than ever,” praising what he described as major military achievements and the country’s alliance with the United States.

“Israel is stronger than ever, and together with the United States, we are leading the fight against the forces of evil in the world,” Netanyahu said, describing the current period as a “generation of revival” in which Israel is confronting longstanding threats to its existence.

He said Israel had delivered significant blows to what he called the Iranian “axis of evil,” which he accused of seeking to destroy the Jewish state. Referring to ongoing regional hostilities, he said Israel had taken decisive action to remove what he described as existential threats, including dangers posed by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

“In the War of Revival, in Operation Rising Lion and Operation Roaring Lion, we made major achievements,” Netanyahu said, crediting Israel’s security forces, citizens and leadership decisions with strengthening the country’s regional standing.

He highlighted new partnerships and diplomatic opportunities that he said had expanded Israel’s strategic position. “In every generation, enemies rise up to destroy us,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel continues to confront those threats with unity and determination.

Twelve torches, twelve stories

At the heart of the ceremony were the 12 torch-lighters chosen to represent Israeli society. This year’s group included figures from the military, medicine, technology, culture and public service.

The ceremony opened with two IDF officers whose identities were partially concealed for security reasons. Lt. Col. M., a former squadron commander involved in operations against Iran, dedicated his torch to the thousands of sorties flown in defense of Israel and to the personnel supporting those missions.

Maj. N., a combat intelligence officer wounded on Oct. 7 who returned to duty before being seriously wounded again, dedicated her torch to wounded soldiers “hurt in body and soul” and to those continuing what she called “another battle on the front of rehabilitation.”

Venture capitalist Gili Ra’anan honored Israel’s hi-tech and cybersecurity sectors while remembering his daughter Adi, who was killed in the 2018 Nahal Tzafit flash flood.

“She reminds me how precious life is, and how great is our responsibility to build a better future here,” he said.

Prof. Dina Ben-Yehuda, head of hematology at Hadassah Medical Center, dedicated her torch to Israel’s medical community and to her nephew Itamar, a Golani combat medic who fell on Oct. 7.

“To the compassion and humanity that are the most important medicine of all,” she said.

Tamir Atallah, a Druze IDF officer who coordinated emergency relief efforts for Druze communities affected by violence in Syria, emphasized the partnership between Israel’s Jewish and Druze citizens.

“A covenant of partnership, loyalty and shared fate—a bond we are obligated to guard with all our strength,” he said.

Ora Hatan of Moshav Shetula, who remained in the northern border community throughout Hezbollah attacks while preparing meals for soldiers, dedicated her torch to residents determined to remain in the north.

“It is forbidden for us to ever lose the north,” she said. “And to our children—the generation of tomorrow who dream that the Galilee will bloom again. And it will.”

Chef Asaf Granit honored Jerusalem and Israel’s culinary sector, which has continued operating despite years of conflict and economic strain.

Roni Insaz, born in Tehran and brought to Israel after secretly assisting Jewish prisoners within Iran’s judicial system, addressed the Iranian people directly.

“The vast majority love the Jewish people and dream of freedom,” he said. “May we merit seeing the dark regime fall.”

One of the most emotional moments came when Talik Gvili lit a torch in memory of her son, Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, whose remains were returned from Gaza. She was joined by Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, who served as coordinator for captives and missing persons.

“Know this—we are here, and we will remain here forever,” she said.

Filmmaker Moshe Adri dedicated his torch to Israel’s cultural creators and to young people in the country’s geographic and social periphery.

“Believe in yourselves, because there is no force stronger than determination, faith and the passion to turn imagination into reality,” he said.

Rabbi Avraham Zariv, a rabbinical judge and reservist armored bulldozer operator in Gaza, dedicated his torch to the privilege of serving both through Torah scholarship and military duty.

Fighter Ari Shpitz, who lost both legs and an arm when a booby-trapped structure exploded in Gaza, dedicated his torch to wounded soldiers.

“This is another war,” he said, “and in it too, we have no choice but to win.”

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Argentina’s President Javier Milei sings at the 78th anniversary Independence Day ceremony, held at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, on April 21, 2026. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.Chaim Goldberg/Flash90

Special guest appearance

The ceremony concluded with an appearance by Argentine President Javier Milei, one of Israel’s most outspoken international supporters. Joining performers in a rendition of the Spanish song “Libre,” Milei later delivered remarks in Spanish reflecting on the symbolism of the torch.

“The passage from darkness to light is painful,” he said. “Creating light requires great and difficult toil.”

He concluded in Hebrew: “Am Yisrael Chai. L’tiferet Medinat Yisrael.”

‘Do not fear, Israel’

Musical performances throughout the evening reflected the country’s emotional journey over the past year. Singer Ben Tzur performed “Abba” accompanied by recordings from battlefield communications. Amir Dadon sang alongside wounded IDF soldiers. Veteran singer Yehoram Gaon performed “Lo Tenatzchu Oti” (“You Will Not Defeat Me”), while Eden Golan, Israel’s 2024 Eurovision representative, received a standing ovation.

The ceremony concluded with Sasson Ifram Shaulov performing “Al Tira Yisrael” (“Do Not Fear, Israel”), bringing the audience to its feet.

The traditional flagbearers’ display formed images including a Star of David, a map of Israel and the number 78, before the ceremony concluded with the singing of Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah.”