Shin Bet Assumes Direct Control Over Yashar Leader's Security Team

Gadi Eisenkot, the chairman of the Yashar party, will have his security arrangements managed by Israel's domestic security agency beginning Sunday.

The party announced that a private security company will guard Eisenkot starting Sunday morning. These contractors will operate under the direct instruction of Unit 730, the Shin Bet's elite unit for protecting senior officials.

This change follows a months-long dispute over Eisenkot's protection status. In August, Shin Bet chief David Zini initially ruled that Eisenkot did not meet the criteria for Unit 730 coverage. That decision reversed after the Advisory Committee for Personal Security reviewed new intelligence and threat evaluations in September.

The committee recommended that the Shin Bet oversee the security details for party leaders. Although Zini approved these measures, Yashar stated in September that no detail had been assigned to Eisenkot at that time. The new directive resolves that gap by placing existing private guards under state supervision.

Zini approved a specific framework for party leaders who do not hold public office. These measures include an intelligence support structure, permission for hired security teams to carry weapons, and regular coordination between the Shin Bet and private guards. The agency will also conduct periodic assessments to gauge the threat level facing each leader.

The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs granted Zini the authority to set these rules until the next Knesset is sworn in. Not every request for protection has been approved. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, sought similar coverage by citing a threat level comparable to Eisenkot's. The Shin Bet has denied Golan immediate protection at this stage.