Eisenkot Granted Shin Bet Protection After Security Failures
The Yashar leader will receive state security starting Wednesday after a series of incidents at his home and a prolonged dispute with the agency.
By Elizabeth Turner ·
Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the Yashar party, will begin receiving a dedicated security detail from the Shin Bet on Wednesday. The decision follows a period of heightened tension and specific security breaches at his residence. Eisenkot currently serves as the de facto leader of the anti-Netanyahu bloc in the Israeli government formation process.
The Shin Bet had previously resisted providing its own agents to protect Eisenkot. For weeks, the agency allowed his private guards to carry weapons. Closer to the October 27 election, the service provided protection through a private firm directed by its Unit 730. This unit typically handles security for senior Israeli officials. The change in protocol occurred after repeated requests from Eisenkot’s staff, who cited increasing threats both online and in public.
In the days following the election, several incidents prompted the agency to reassess the threat level. On Sunday, an unidentified woman entered the Herzliya building where Eisenkot lives. She spent several minutes searching for his apartment while his wife, Hannah, was home. Eisenkot was away during the incident. Channel 12 reported that the woman's motivations remain unclear, and the matter is under investigation.
Earlier that same Sunday evening, a group of demonstrators gathered outside the home. They shouted insults and accused Eisenkot of responsibility for the death of his son, Master Sgt. (res.) Gal Eisenkot, who was killed in Gaza in December 2023. Footage of the protest showed a man using a megaphone to repeat the phrase, “You murdered your son.” The protester also directed remarks at Hannah Eisenkot, telling her she would be next to her son. The demonstration lasted until approximately 9 p.m. No arrests were made.
The Yashar party filed a formal complaint with the Israel Police following the protest. The complaint alleged that the man, identified by Hebrew media as Yossi Cohen, had threatened Eisenkot and his wife with murder. Cohen is described as a bereaved father. In August, the Public Advisory Committee for Personal Security recommended that the Shin Bet provide direct protection to Eisenkot. The agency at the time stated it lacked the specific intelligence required to justify such a move.
The election results left neither the outgoing coalition nor the opposition with a clear majority. The anti-Netanyahu parties hold 67 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, split between Jewish-led parties with 48 seats and Arab-led parties with 19. Netanyahu’s coalition holds 53 seats. Several opposition leaders are supporting Eisenkot for the initial attempt to form a government. Other opposition figures, including Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, already receive Shin Bet protection as former prime ministers.
Eisenkot’s security status mirrors that of other opposition leaders. The Shin Bet began overseeing protection for Eisenkot, Yair Golan of the Democrats, and Ofer Winter of the People of Israel party days before the vote. Winter’s party failed to clear the threshold for entry into the Knesset. The new security arrangement for Eisenkot takes effect as he moves to lead coalition negotiations.
Source: The Times of Israel
