Ministers Delay Vote on Security Detail for Opposition Leader Gadi Eisenkot

More than a week after a public advisory committee recommended providing Shin Bet security for National Unity Party chairman Gadi Eisenkot until the elections, the Ministerial Committee on Shin Bet Affairs has yet to convene to approve the recommendation. Eisenkot is currently relying on private security hired by his party.

A source familiar with the matter described the delay as "strange," noting that with less than two months until the elections, Eisenkot will soon become a Knesset member and automatically receive security from the Knesset. The advisory committee is also expected to discuss security for Democratic Party chairman Yair Golan, who is in a more precarious position as he is not currently a Knesset member and lacks any official security detail.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former Foreign Minister Yair Lapid are protected by the Shin Bet due to their previous roles, while current Knesset members like Avigdor Lieberman and Mansour Abbas receive security from the Knesset. It is anticipated that the advisory committee will also recommend Shin Bet protection for Golan, but this recommendation, like Eisenkot's, is pending the ministerial committee's approval.

Ronen Cohen, head of the advisory committee, stated he is unaware of when the ministerial committee will meet, as he is not involved in that decision. The Shin Bet has indicated that security for public figures is determined by law and the ministerial committee's decisions, adding that they are conducting ongoing threat assessments and intelligence monitoring for Eisenkot.