Eisenkot's private guard answers to Shin Bet unit starting Sunday

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, will be protected by a private security company beginning Sunday morning. The arrangement places the hired detail under the direct instruction of Unit 730, the elite division of Israel’s domestic security agency, the Shin Bet. The party confirmed the operational start date in a public announcement.

The security protocol resolves a dispute that began in August, when Shin Bet chief David Zini initially ruled that Eisenkot did not meet the criteria for protection by Unit 730. The assessment shifted in September after the Advisory Committee for Personal Security reviewed updated intelligence and threat evaluations. The committee recommended that the agency oversee the leader’s safety, a decision Zini subsequently approved.

Despite the approval, Eisenkot’s team reported to The Jerusalem Post in September that no security personnel had yet been assigned to him. The delay ended with the current arrangement, which integrates private contractors into the state’s oversight framework.

Zini approved a broader set of measures for party leaders, including an intelligence support framework and permission for hired security teams to carry weapons. The plan also mandates coordination between the Shin Bet and private teams, along with periodic assessments to gauge threat levels. The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs granted Zini the authority to set these arrangements for leaders holding no public office, a power that remains in force until the next Knesset is sworn in.

Not all petitioners have received immediate protection. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, requested similar coverage citing a threat level comparable to Eisenkot’s. The Shin Bet has denied his request at this stage.