Shin Bet Security for Gadi Eisenkot to Be Handled by Private Firm

The Shin Bet (General Security Service) announced that Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael party, will receive security from a private company under the guidance of Unit 730, with Shin Bet operatives providing protection on election day. This decision concludes weeks of political turmoil and demands from Eisenkot's party for full Shin Bet protection, citing threats against him. The head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, maintained his professional stance, based on intelligence assessments indicating no concrete information about intentions to harm Eisenkot.

The agreement follows months of demands from Eisenkot's party. Eisenkot had approached Zini, alleging an increase in targeted threats at public events. Following a police risk assessment elevating his threat level to 4 out of 6, Eisenkot's party headquarters sent a sharp letter to the Shin Bet chief and the Police Commissioner, demanding immediate state security. The Yisrael party justified its demand by citing threats and incitement, though critics argued that merely running against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not automatically qualify him for such security.

Initially, Zini rejected the request for Unit 730 protection, stating Eisenkot was not legally defined as a "symbol of government." However, the Shin Bet later unusually authorized Eisenkot's private security guards to carry weapons and provided them with intelligence support and direct communication with the agency's command center. Former senior Shin Bet officials, including Amit Asa, criticized Eisenkot's personal appeal to Zini, suggesting it aimed to undermine the Shin Bet chief's legitimacy and portray professional decisions as political.

Amidst comparisons to the security detail for the Netanyahu family, it was revealed that the Prime Minister himself had contacted the Shin Bet chief to examine the required security measures for Eisenkot. In September, an advisory committee recommended Shin Bet protection for Eisenkot, but the Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs deferred the decision back to the agency. The Shin Bet stated it would not deviate from procedures and presented a uniform approach for all party leaders not currently under protection.

The controversy also led Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats, to petition the High Court of Justice (Bagatz) for similar security, a move criticized by some who argued Golan was attempting to create a parallel with Eisenkot despite a lower threat level. The High Court is scheduled to hear Golan's petition. The final arrangement is a compromise: the Shin Bet will not provide daily protection but will guide and manage the private security firm, with state security deployed around Eisenkot specifically on election day.