Shin Bet Takes Direct Command of Gadi Eisenkot Security Detail

The Shin Bet will assume direct command of security operations for Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, beginning Sunday morning. The agency announced the shift in a statement, confirming that a private security firm will provide the physical guard while operating under the explicit instructions of Unit 730, the Shin Bet’s elite unit responsible for personal protection.

This directive reverses an earlier assessment made in August by Shin Bet chief David Zini. At that time, Zini concluded that Eisenkot did not meet the criteria for protection by Unit 730. The position changed in September after the Advisory Committee for Personal Security reviewed updated intelligence and threat evaluations. The committee subsequently recommended that the Shin Bet oversee the Yashar leader’s security.

Despite Zini’s approval, the Yashar party reported to The Jerusalem Post in September that no security detail had been assigned to Eisenkot at that time. The new arrangement resolves that gap. The Shin Bet stated that Zini approved a specific set of measures for party leaders, including an intelligence oversight framework and the permission for hired security teams to carry weapons. The agency will also coordinate directly with these teams and conduct periodic assessments to gauge the threat level facing each leader.

The authority for these arrangements stems from the Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs. That body granted Zini the power to set security protocols for party leaders who hold no public office and are not otherwise entitled to state protection. This authorization remains in effect until the next Knesset is sworn in.

Not all party leaders who requested protection received it. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, petitioned for Shin Bet protection by citing a threat level comparable to Eisenkot’s. The Shin Bet has denied Golan immediate protection at this stage.