State Agency Takes Command of Yashar Leader's Security Team

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, will have his security arrangements managed by the Shin Bet beginning this Sunday. The domestic security agency announced that a private security firm will provide his physical protection, operating under the direct instruction of Unit 730.

This shift follows a months long dispute over the threat level facing opposition figures. In August, Shin Bet chief David Zini concluded that Eisenkot did not meet the criteria for protection by the elite unit. That decision reversed after the Advisory Committee for Personal Security reviewed updated intelligence in September. The committee recommended that the Shin Bet take oversight of his security, a move Zini subsequently approved.

Despite the approval, no security detail had been assigned to Eisenkot as of September. Yashar party officials noted the delay to The Jerusalem Post at that time. The Shin Bet stated that Zini has approved a broader set of measures for party leaders who hold no public office and are not otherwise entitled to state protection.

These measures include an intelligence oversight framework, permission for hired security teams to carry weapons, and periodic threat assessments. The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs granted Zini the authority to set these arrangements. This authorization remains in force until the next Knesset is sworn in.

Not all requests for state protection have been granted. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, petitioned for similar coverage. He cited a threat level comparable to Eisenkot's, but the Shin Bet has denied him immediate protection at this stage.