Security Shift: Shin Bet Unit 730 Commands Gadi Eisenkot Guard
The domestic security agency will direct a private firm to protect the Yashar party chairman starting Sunday, reversing an earlier assessment by its chief.
By Alessia Desai ·
Israel's domestic security agency, the Shin Bet, will direct the security detail for Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot beginning Sunday morning. A private security company will provide the physical protection while operating under the direct instruction of Unit 730, the Shin Bet's elite counter-terrorist unit.
The change follows a months-long dispute over the protection level for opposition party heads. In August, Shin Bet chief David Zini initially ruled that Eisenkot did not meet the criteria for Unit 730 coverage. That stance shifted in September when the Advisory Committee for Personal Security reviewed new intelligence and threat evaluations concerning the Yashar leader. The committee subsequently recommended that the Shin Bet assume oversight of his security.
Despite Zini's approval, the Yashar party told The Jerusalem Post in September that no guard had been assigned to Eisenkot at that time. The Shin Bet announced that Zini approved a wider set of measures for party leaders. These provisions include an intelligence oversight framework, permission for hired security teams to carry weapons, and regular coordination between state agencies and private guards. Periodic assessments will also gauge the threat level facing each leader.
The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs granted Zini the authority to set these arrangements for party leaders who hold no public office and are not otherwise entitled to state protection. This authorization remains in force until the next Knesset is sworn in. Not all requests have been successful. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, also petitioned for protection, citing a threat level comparable to Eisenkot's. The Shin Bet has denied Golan immediate protection at this stage.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
