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Shin Bet Takes Over Security for Yashar Party Chairman Gadi Eisenkot
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Shin Bet Assumes Security for Yashar Chairman Gadi Eisenkot
The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) announced that Unit 730 will directly instruct and operate the private security team assigned to Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot, beginning Sunday morning. The move follows a revised threat assessment that concluded Eisenkot now meets the criteria for elite protection.
Background to the Protection Decision
In August, Shin Bet chief David Zini ruled that Eisenkot did not satisfy the requirements for Unit 730 coverage. After updated intelligence and a September threat review by the Advisory Committee for Personal Security, the committee recommended that the agency provide oversight. The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs subsequently authorized Zini to determine security arrangements for party leaders who lack public office and are therefore ineligible for standard state protection. The authorization will remain in effect until the next Knesset is sworn in.
Official Arrangements and Authority
The Shin Bet-approved plan includes intelligence units supplying oversight and support, permission for privately hired security teams to carry weapons, coordinated operations between the agency and those teams, and periodic assessments of each leader’s threat level. Although the Yashar party reported in September that no security detail had yet been assigned, the agency’s approval now obligates the private team to operate under Shin Bet direction.
Reactions from Other Party Leaders
Democratic Party chairman Yair Golan submitted a petition for comparable Shin Bet protection, citing a threat level similar to Eisenkot’s. The agency, however, declined to grant immediate protection to Golan, indicating that each request is evaluated individually.
Implications for Party Security Protocols
The decision expands Shin Bet’s role beyond elected officials, establishing a framework for safeguarding political figures who are not automatically entitled to state protection. By linking private security contractors to Unit 730 oversight, the agency aims to create a unified response to evolving threats while maintaining periodic threat-level reviews until the next parliamentary term.