Shin Bet Security: Gadi Eisenkot Gains Protection

The Shin Bet will assume command of security operations for Gadi Eisenkot beginning Sunday morning. The Yashar party announced the shift in control today. A private security firm will continue to provide the physical guard. However, that firm will operate under the direct instructions of Unit 730 of the Shin Bet.

This arrangement represents a change in status for the Yashar chairman. For months, Eisenkot sought state protection. The request stalled in August when David Zini, the head of the Shin Bet, ruled that Eisenkot did not meet the standard criteria for elite unit coverage. That initial rejection ended in September. The Advisory Committee for Personal Security reviewed new threat evaluations. The committee found the intelligence supported a higher level of risk. It then recommended that the Shin Bet take over the security mandate.

Zini approved the recommendation. The agency issued a set of measures for party leaders who lack other state protections. These measures include an intelligence oversight framework provided by intelligence units. Party leaders can now authorize their hired security teams to carry weapons. The Shin Bet will coordinate directly with those private teams. The agency will also conduct periodic assessments to monitor the threat level facing each leader.

The legal basis for these measures comes from the Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs. The committee granted Zini the authority to set security arrangements for party leaders who do not hold public office. This authorization remains in effect until the next Knesset is sworn in. The new rules apply to leaders who are otherwise not entitled to standard state protection.

The Yashar party noted a gap between the approval and the implementation. In September, the party told The Jerusalem Post that no security detail had been assigned despite Zini's approval. That delay has now ended with the Sunday start date. The transition will place the private guards under direct agency supervision immediately.

Not all party leaders have received similar treatment. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, petitioned for protection from the Shin Bet. Golan cited a threat level comparable to that of Eisenkot. The agency has denied him immediate protection at this stage. The contrast between the two cases highlights the specific criteria applied to Eisenkot.

The security package for Eisenkot is part of a wider effort to secure heads of political parties. The process involved multiple reviews and committee approvals. The final decision rests on the updated intelligence that emerged in September. The change in command structure takes effect this weekend.