Shin Bet Assumes Control of Eisenkot Guard
Unit 730 will direct the private security detail protecting Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot beginning this Sunday.
By Thomas Obasi ·
The Shin Bet will take direct command of the security detail protecting Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot starting Sunday morning. The party announced that a private security firm will provide the physical guard, operating under the specific instructions of Unit 730, the agency’s elite protection unit.
The arrangement resolves a months long dispute over the level of state protection afforded to opposition leaders. In August, Shin Bet director David Zini initially ruled that Eisenkot did not meet the criteria for Unit 730 coverage. That decision reversed in September after the Advisory Committee for Personal Security reviewed new intelligence and threat assessments. The committee recommended that the agency oversee the former defense minister’s safety.
Despite Zini’s approval in September, Yashar leaders told The Jerusalem Post that no detail had been assigned to Eisenkot at that time. The agency outlined a broader framework for party heads who do not hold public office. These measures include intelligence oversight, permission for private guards to carry weapons, and regular coordination between the Shin Bet and hired security teams.
The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs granted Zini the authority to set these protocols for leaders who are not otherwise entitled to state protection. This authorization remains valid until the next Knesset is sworn in. Not all petitioners have received the same treatment. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, requested similar protection citing comparable threats. The Shin Bet has denied his request for immediate coverage at this stage.
