Shin Bet VIP Unit to Take Over Eisenkot’s Protection on Wednesday

The Shin Bet’s national VIP protection unit, Unit 730, is to take over protection of Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot on Wednesday, November 4, according to reports published Tuesday. Senior sources confirmed the transfer, which follows months of disagreement over the security arrangements for the former military chief. The change comes after threats involving Eisenkot’s family. Yashar said it filed a police complaint on Monday over alleged threats against his wife during a demonstration outside the family’s home in Herzliya. The party said: “No pain, however difficult, gives anyone permission to threaten murder.” Eisenkot’s son Gal was killed fighting in Gaza in December 2023. The new assignment differs from the arrangement announced to the party on October 24. Under that notification, private guards were to begin protecting Eisenkot on October 25, with Unit 730 directly guiding and operating their work. That arrangement did not amount to assigning the Shin Bet unit’s own guards to him. In late September, the Shin Bet had declined to provide its own protection despite a public advisory committee’s recommendation. Tuesday’s reports describe a change to that position: responsibility is to pass to the national VIP protection unit itself starting Wednesday. The reported transfer concerns who provides Eisenkot’s protection, rather than the beginning of protection for a previously unguarded party leader.