Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the Mossad’s incoming director, Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, at a ceremony held at the intelligence agency’s headquarters on Tuesday.

It took place in the presence of the Speaker of the Knesset, Cabinet ministers, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and the heads of the defense establishment, including outgoing Mossad chief David Barnea, along with the wives and officials of the Mossad and its commanders.

“Roman, you have overcome all obstacles, and you are being appointed 14th head of Israel’s Mossad,” stated Netanyahu, referring to legal challenges that Gofman faced before taking on his new post.

“The Mossad will continue to be at the forefront of our struggle against Iranian aggression. We will not allow the Iranian regime to turn the wheel backwards. We will not allow it to obtain nuclear weapons. We will not allow it to threaten our existence,” the prime minister said.

Addressing the men and women of the Mossad, Gofman said: “You are the quiet and powerful voice of the State of Israel and of the Jewish people. I humbly enter this holy place, relying on your invaluable knowledge and experience.”

Israel has inflicted a “strategic reversal” on Iran and its axis, changing the power balance in the region, he stated. “The Shi’ite axis, which has made it its mission to destroy our country, has been severely beaten.”

He added that the work was not over, and that the Mossad would continue to refine and develop its capabilities and methods to maintain the advantage of surprise over Israel’s enemies.

Gofman also thanked the outgoing director for leading the organization to tremendous achievements.

Barnea wished Goffman success, as well as commended the Mossad’s employees and commanders, saying in no short order that “your excellence, the men and women of the Mossad, is tested precisely at the point where others choose to withdraw. You refuse to give up in the face of challenges. You refuse to back down in the face of a task for which you have had no prior experience. In the face of every wall and in the face of every doubt, you stand and say clearly: ”We can do it.’ “

Goffman previously served as the prime minister’s military secretary. He brings 31 years of military service to the post in a variety of senior command positions, including commander of the Etzion Brigade, commander of the 7th Armored Brigade; commander of the 210th Division; and commander of the National Training Center, a base in the Negev Desert for large-scale military exercises.