Shin Bet Authorized to Provide Security for Unprotected Party Leaders Ahead of Vote
The Ministerial Committee on Shin Bet Affairs empowered the Shin Bet to independently determine security details for unprotected party leaders ahead of the Knesset elections.
The Ministerial Committee on Shin Bet Affairs, chaired by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, decided on Wednesday to empower the Shin Bet to independently determine the required security arrangements for party leaders who are civilians and currently lack protection, pending the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset. Levin was the sole minister who attended the session.
This decision means that Shin Bet Director David Zini will determine the security package for Yashar! party leader Gadi Eisenkot, Democrats leader Yair Golan, and other relevant figures. Meanwhile, Be-yachad leader Naftali Bennett, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman are already secured due to their previous official roles.
Late last month, the Public Advisory Committee on Personal Security recommended protecting Eisenkot until the upcoming elections. Until now, he has relied on private security hired by his party following previous refusals by the Shin Bet to provide official VIP protection, as he holds no formal state office despite being a key political contender.
