Israel's High Court Orders Shin Bet to Consider Security for Yair Golan

Israel's High Court of Justice has ordered the Shin Bet security agency and the government to consider providing security for Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, based on the latest threat assessment against him. The court has given them two days to respond.

The swift decision came hours after the Democrats party filed a petition, stating that Golan remains without security despite the police classifying the threat level against him as high. The petition detailed "dozens of concrete, explicit, and chilling assassination threats" against Golan, asserting that each day without security leaves him "exposed meat."

The party's petition included a document outlining specific threats, such as "What kind of blood does Yair Golan have in his veins. He needs to stand trial and then a bullet in the head," and "You are on your way, we will take your eyes out, you and your family will be wiped out... your sentence is hanging." Other threats included wishes for his painful death and questions about why he hasn't been "eliminated."

Last week, the Democrats party had given Shin Bet head David Zini an ultimatum: either order security for Golan by the previous Sunday, or the party would petition the High Court. The party stated that Golan's risk level is rated 4 out of 6 by the police, similar to that of "Yisrael Beiteinu" chairman Gadi Eisenkot.

This situation follows a decision made about a week prior by the Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs, chaired by Justice Minister Yariv Levin. The committee authorized the Shin Bet to determine the necessary security arrangements for party leaders who currently lack protection until the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset. Levin was the sole attendee at that meeting and determined that Zini would be responsible for establishing security packages for Eisenkot, Golan, and "Am Israel Chai" chairman Ofer Winter.