730 Unit Takes Command of Gadi Eisenkot's Guard This Sunday

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, will wake to a new security reality on Sunday morning. A private security company will begin guarding him under the direct instruction of Unit 730, the elite division of Israel's Shin Bet. This arrangement replaces the previous lack of state-directed protection for the political leader.

The change stems from a review of intelligence and threat evaluations conducted in September. The Advisory Committee for Personal Security examined updated data and recommended that the Shin Bet assume oversight of Eisenkot's security. This recommendation reversed an earlier position taken by Shin Bet chief David Zini in August. At that time, Zini determined that Eisenkot did not meet the specific criteria for Unit 730 protection.

The shift is part of a wider set of measures Zini approved for party leaders who do not hold public office. The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs granted Zini the authority to set these arrangements until the next Knesset is sworn in. The framework includes intelligence support from various units and permission for hired security teams to carry weapons.

Coordination between the Shin Bet and these private teams is now a standard requirement. The agency also mandates periodic situation assessments to gauge the threat level facing each leader. Yashar previously noted in September that no detail had been assigned to Eisenkot despite Zini's approval. That gap closes with the Sunday handover.

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