Yair Golan Seeks Supreme Court Order for Shin Bet Protection Amid Death Threats

Yair Golan, a prominent Israeli politician and leader of the Meretz party, has filed a petition with the Israeli Supreme Court demanding that the Shin Bet internal security agency provide him and his family with protection. The petition, filed Tuesday, names the government and Shin Bet Director David Zini as respondents. Golan's party, The Democrats, asserts that he has received dozens of explicit death threats and currently lacks state security coverage.

The petitioners are requesting immediate protection, even before the state responds, and that this protection continue until the court makes a final decision. They have also asked for an urgent hearing and an initial response from the authorities within 72 hours, noting that three previous letters to relevant officials went unanswered.

The Democrats claim that the police assessed the threat level against Golan as a 4 on a scale of 6, equivalent to the level of threat faced by Gadi Eisenkot, a leader of the Yashar party. While an advisory committee recommended Shin Bet protection for Eisenkot, it did not for Golan. Eisenkot's team stated that a decision in his favor was made on Sunday, though an escort has not yet been assigned.

Golan's party argues that the threats could also impede his election campaign. "We will not stand idly by while the next political assassination is being prepared," Golan stated, urging the court to intervene. The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the petition.