Security Protocol: Unit 730 Directs Guard for Gadi Eisenkot

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, will be guarded by a private security company starting this Sunday. The firm will operate under the direct instruction of Unit 730, the elite division of Israel's domestic security agency, the Shin Bet.

The arrangement resolves a dispute that began in August. At that time, Shin Bet chief David Zini ruled that Eisenkot did not meet the criteria for protection by Unit 730. In September, the Advisory Committee for Personal Security reviewed updated intelligence and threat evaluations. The committee then recommended that the Shin Bet oversee his security, leading to Zini's approval of a broader set of measures for party leaders.

Those measures include an intelligence oversight framework, permission for hired security teams to carry weapons, and coordination between the Shin Bet and those private 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. This authorization remains in force until the next Knesset is sworn in.

Despite the approval, Yashar officials told The Jerusalem Post in September that no security detail had been assigned to Eisenkot at that time. The party announced the specific operational details only today.

The decision to protect Eisenkot does not set a universal precedent for all opposition figures. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, also petitioned for Shin Bet protection, citing a threat level comparable to Eisenkot's. The Shin Bet has denied him immediate protection at this stage.