Shin Bet Unit 730 to Supervise Gadi Eisenkot's Private Security Team

The Yashar party announced on Friday that the Shin Bet will assume command over the security arrangements for its chairman, Gadi Eisenkot. This directive takes effect Sunday morning.

A private security firm will provide the physical guard detail. However, these officers will operate under the direct instruction of Unit 730, the elite branch of the domestic security agency responsible for protecting senior figures.

This arrangement follows a dispute over Eisenkot's threat level. In August, Shin Bet chief David Zini ruled that Eisenkot did not meet the criteria for Unit 730 protection. The decision reversed in September after the Advisory Committee for Personal Security reviewed new intelligence and threat evaluations.

The committee recommended that the agency oversee the leader's security, a move Zini subsequently approved. Despite the green light, the Yashar party told The Jerusalem Post in September that no specific security team had been assigned to Eisenkot at that time.

The Shin Bet outlined a broader framework for party leaders, including intelligence support, permission for hired security to carry weapons, and coordination between state units and private teams. The agency will also conduct periodic assessments of the threat level facing each leader.

The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs granted Zini the authority to set these measures for party heads who do not hold public office. This authorization remains valid until the next Knesset is sworn in. Yair Golan, the chairman of The Democrats, has also sought protection citing similar threats, but the Shin Bet has denied his request for immediate coverage.

Not all leaders who petitioned for state protection received it. The agency maintains that Eisenkot's case involved specific intelligence factors that differed from other claims.