Private Guard for Gadi Eisenkot to Operate Under Unit 730 From Sunday

A private security company will begin guarding Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot on Sunday morning, operating under the direct instruction of Unit 730 of the Shin Bet.

The Yashar party announced the arrangement, which marks the culmination of a months-long campaign to secure state protection for political party heads.

The decision follows a shift in the Shin Bet's internal assessment. In August, agency chief David Zini initially determined that Eisenkot did not meet the criteria for protection by the elite unit. That stance 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 his security.

Despite Zini's approval, the Yashar party told The Jerusalem Post in September that no security detail had yet been assigned to the chairman.

The Shin Bet stated that Zini approved a broader set of measures for party leaders. These provisions include an intelligence oversight framework, permission for hired security teams to carry weapons, and coordination between the Shin Bet and those teams. The agency will also conduct periodic situation assessments to gauge the threat level facing each leader.

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

Not every petition for protection has been granted. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, requested Shin Bet protection citing a threat level comparable to Eisenkot's. The Shin Bet has denied him immediate protection at this stage.