Shin Bet Unit 730 Assumes Command of Private Firm Guarding Gadi Eisenkot

A private security firm will begin protecting Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot on Sunday morning. The detail will operate under the direct command of Unit 730, the elite counter-terrorism division of the Shin Bet.

The arrangement resolves a months long dispute over the level of state protection afforded to party leaders. In August, Shin Bet director David Zini ruled that Eisenkot did not qualify for Unit 730 coverage. That decision reversed in September after the Advisory Committee for Personal Security reviewed new intelligence. The committee recommended that the Shin Bet take over the security file.

Zini approved a specific set of measures for party heads who lack public office. These include an intelligence oversight framework, authorization for hired security teams to carry weapons, and regular threat assessments. The Shin Bet will coordinate directly with the private guards to monitor the situation. The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs granted Zini the power to set these arrangements until the next Knesset is sworn in.

The Yashar party stated in September that no security detail had been assigned despite Zini’s approval. The new protocol clarifies that the private company acts as the physical force while the Shin Bet retains strategic control.

Not all political leaders have received the same protection. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, petitioned for similar coverage citing a comparable threat level. The Shin Bet has denied Golan immediate protection at this stage.